Beyond The Other Side
by Epsilon Zeta
Summary: Crossover 02Tamers. With the final act of the great battle coming to a close, the tamers and the Digidestined arrive at the end of the road and the start of another...Minor revision to chapter 1
1. First Configuration, Section One

Author's Notes: Just wanted to clean up the first chapter a bit.  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side – V 1.1  
  
Night had fallen over the city of West Shinjuku. It has been a quiet evening unless you counted the battle happening between two Digimon.  
  
"Walk all over him, Renamon." The fox Digimon got into a battle stance. Vilemon smirked and charged at full speed. Rika took a card out of her pouch. "Digi Modify!!! Clone Activate!!!"  
  
Renamon vanished and appeared behind Vilemon. "Diamond Storm!!" Hundreds of little diamonds hit Vilemon, vaporizing it into data.  
  
Takato stared in horror. "You killed a Digimon..." Henry was too stunned to speak.  
  
Before he could ask Rika why she did what she did, Renamon gave a surprised yelp. "There's something wrong with Vilemon's data!!" A light surrounded the group and they vanished without a trace.  
  
"Takato, wake up! Come on!!"  
  
The boy slowly opened his eyes. "Man, that was intense!! I think I know what Tai felt when he and the other Digidestined entered the digital world. What did happen?"  
  
Henry look around. "From the surroundings, I can conclude that we are in the digital world."  
  
Takato sprang up as soon as he heard the words 'digital world'. "You're kidding, right? We are actually in the digital world?!? This is so cool!!!"  
  
Terriermon piped up. "It would be more cool if we didn't have that rude girl along with us. Right now, she's off by the river, cursing about what happened and that she's stuck with...what was that word, Henry?"  
  
Henry smiled. "Goggleheads. But that would have to apply more to Takato than me."  
  
"Is Takatomon alright?"  
  
Takato sighed. "It's back to Takatomon huh, Guilmon."  
  
The red dinosaur Digimon scratched its head. "I've always called you Takatomon. You told me that was your name."  
  
By the river, a certain redhead was fuming at her current situation. "Of all the stupid..."  
  
"Calm down, Rika."  
  
"Everything was going fine until those two wannabe tamers showed up!! Now I'm stuck here with idiots for company!!"  
  
Renamon raised an eyebrow. Rika noticed the glare she was receiving from her partner. "You excluded." Then an idea dawned on Rika. "Since this is the digital world, this place must be filled with Digimon...who are probably willing to battle. This may be an opportunity for you to get enough experience and data to digivolve. Let's go, Renamon."  
  
"Wait!!!"  
  
Rika whirled around. "What do you want?" she snapped.  
  
Takato raised his hands in defense. "Henry says it would be a better idea to stick together. We could watch each other's backs and stuff like that."  
  
"Renamon doesn't need you and neither do I," said Rika in an icy tone.  
  
Henry walked up with Terriermon perched on his head. "You aren't exactly the most polite person in the world. But we should work together and combine our resources. Eventually, you will run into a situation in which the Modify cards you have won't work. With me and Takato with you, the three of us has a better selection of Modify cards."  
  
'Damn...they're right.' Rika clenched her fists. "Fine. But as soon as we get back home, our alliance is terminated."  
  
Takato glared at Henry. "Are you sure this is wise? I frankly wouldn't mind her going off alone."  
  
The boy nodded. "I know what you mean. But with this alliance, we can make sure she doesn't do anything stupid."  
  
"Takatomon, what is that over there?" Takato looked at where Guilmon was pointing at and found himself dumbstruck when he recognized Digitamamon's diner.  
  
"We're your friends!!"  
  
Henry went pale. "That sounded like Mimi...Takato, do you realize what this means?" The boy blinked in confusion. Henry sighed before continuing. "This digital world is set inside the television show!! And if I remember my episodes correctly, this is when the Digiegg of Sincerity is given to Yolei!"  
  
Takato gulped. "What should we do?"  
  
Henry thought about it for a moment before speaking. "We shouldn't do anything to interfere with the Digimon storyline. It's just like on that weird show...I forgot what it was but they had a law not to interfere with the lives of other civilizations that have no clue about them. We have to be careful and not let anyone see us. Who knows how badly the storyline can be damaged."  
  
Terriermon poked Henry to get his attention. "Too late."  
  
The boys looked up to see Rika and Renamon, engaged in battle against Digitamamon.  
  
"Who is she?" Cody stuttered out.  
  
"I don't know but I guess she's one of us," said Kari.  
  
Flamedramon eyed the Digimon and the girl suspiciously. "I don't recognize her Digimon."  
  
"Who cares? We could always use another member of the team to help fight the Digimon Emperor," stated Davis.  
  
"Enough!! Time to end this, Renamon!!!" Rika took her Digivice and a Modify card.  
  
TK stared in confusion. "What is she doing?"  
  
"Digi Modify!!! Agumon's Frozen Wind Activate!!" The Digidestined gave a start.  
  
The same thought ran through their minds. 'What does Agumon have to do with this?!'  
  
Renamon leaped just above Digitamamon. Before he could fire a Nightmare Syndrome, Renamon had already frozen him with the frozen wind.  
  
"Finish this, Renamon." Takato and Henry were running to try and stop her but by the time they got there, Renamon was downloading Digitamamon's data and the dark spiral was destroyed.  
  
Takato looked at the shocked faces of the Digidestined. "This ain't good. What do we do now?!"  
  
Rika snorted. "We leave. There's nothing to do here."  
  
"Thanks to you, they are going to have a tougher time battling with the Emperor. Things may not turn out as shown," said Henry gravely.  
  
This earned another snort from the girl. "You watch too much TV."  
  
"Why?!?" Rika turned to face a broken down Mimi. "Why did you destroy him?!? If you just destroyed the spiral, he would have become normal again!!! But you killed him!!!"  
  
[You killed a Digimon...]  
  
"Digimon are nothing more than data. And if you don't have the courage to do what it takes to stop evil, you shouldn't be in the digital world at all." With that said, Rika walked away from the battlescene with Renamon behind her.  
  
Guilmon moved closer to Takato. "What now, Takatomon?" Takato turned to Henry for an answer.  
  
"We better follow Rika and make sure she doesn't cause anymore damage. As for the Digidestined...I don't know." They decided to catch up to Rika before she vanishes from their sight. 


	2. First Configuration, Section Two

Author's Notes: The first part probably brought up some questions on how Vilemon's data brought the tamers to the digital world so I'll try and clarify that here.  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 1.2  
  
"Who are those guys?" Cody swung a kendo sword in anger. "They can't be Digidestined!! Not after destroying a Digimon in cold blood!!" Yolei leaned on her chair. "They did fight one of Ken's slaves..." The computer room remained silent for a while, save for the chewing noises made by the Digimon munching on snacks.  
  
"Well...perhaps their experiences with the digital world had not been too nice. Maybe in order to survive, they had to destroy Digimon. I can kind of understand that," said TK wearily. Kari gave a small sigh. "We should try and show them that there are other ways to defeat evil without killing. We have to try to get through to them."  
  
Izzy kept typing on the computer. "What about the cards? You said the girl scanned a card in her Digivice and her Digimon changed to learn the frozen wind technique." TK narrowed his eyebrows. "Did Tentomon and the others ask Agumon about that move?"   
  
"From what I heard, it depends on the conditions when the Koromon digivolve. In most normal cases, the attack should be pepper breath. However, there have been some cases in which Koromon have lived in cold climates. Thus, when they digivolve into Agumon, they obtain the frozen wind attack. I wonder if those cards have special data that when scanned through the Digivice, the Digimon are given bonus attributes." Davis pretended like he understood what Izzy had just said. "So now, we have to deal with Ken and these other...uh...kids."  
  
"Biyomon and Tentomon have agreed to keep one eye on Ken and the other on the new kids. Until we know a bit more about them, I would advise extreme caution when you enter the digital world. Things are going to get crazier with the Digimon Emperor and the new kids," warned Izzy. The others nodded. "Okay, break time's over! Let's go find that Digiegg!!"  
  
************  
  
"Who are those new kids?!? Where did they come from?! I want some answers NOW!!!" Wormmon waved his tiny arms to try to calm down the Digimon Emperor. "We're doing the best we can, master. But-"   
  
"But nothing!!! They are an unpredictable variable in my equation!! A variable that must be erased!! Once you find them, inform me at once!! I would like to see what they can do...and if their Digimon would make good slaves!" Doors in the Digimon Emperor's base opened, revealing armies of Tyrannomon, Darktyrannomon, Frigimon, Meramon and Mekanorimon. They all started to search for the tamers.  
  
The Digimon Emperor forced himself to calm down a bit. "Let's see what Digimon they have. There may be some interesting qualities that I can borrow for my ultimate creation." He pressed a button on a console and resumed working on his project.  
  
************  
  
"The thing that's bugging me is why we got sent here thanks to Vilemon's data!" Henry opened his eyes after thinking up his theory. "It was the third last episode of season 1 of Digimon. The battle between Piedmon, the last Dark Master and the Digidestined. He summoned up an army of Vilemon to fight but I assume that some escaped. After all, the enemy had six Ultimates and two Megas. Perhaps the one we fought was one of Piedmon's soldiers. When Rika destroyed Vilemon, his data must have sent some sort of feedback loop to the digital world and opened a gateway!" A tiny sweatdrop appeared on Takato's head. "Man, you do watch too much TV!"  
  
Terriermon yawned. "Do you even know what you're saying?" Henry gave an embarrassed blush. "Not totally...I just thought of something. We should try using our Digivices on the televisions in the digital world. You know how the D3s opened digital gateways between this world and their real world? Maybe it'll do the same for us, except we would be going to our world!"  
  
"That's the best idea I've heard all day. Let's get this over with." Rika started walking towards one of the televisions with Renamon behind her. The boys simultaneously sighed before following. They held up their Digivices to the TV. It started glowing. Then they were all sucked in and the TV spat out the Digidestined. Davis blinked. "Was it me or did I just see those new kids go through the gateway? I could have sworn they were underneath us..." Veemon shrugged. "I didn't see anything." Yolei gave a smug grin. "Those goggles must be cutting off the supply of oxygen to your brain."  
  
************  
  
"You must be the new kids!!!" The three tamers looked to see a startled red-haired boy. Henry gasped. "Izzy!! So we aren't home!!" "So much for that theory," growled Rika. "Let's get out of here!" Renamon lifted Rika and leapt out of the window. Guilmon carried Takato on his back and jumped down as well.   
  
"How do you know about me? What is your connection to the digital world?" Izzy demanded. Henry bit his lip. "I can't tell you anything." Takato noticed that Henry would need a little extra help since Terriermon is a bit small for this sort of thing. "Digi Modify! Hyperwing Activate!!" Guilmon grew wings on his back. "Go and get Henry and Terriermon, Guilmon!"   
  
"OK, Takatomon." The dinosaur took off to the second floor of the school. Terriermon jumped and landed on his head while Henry had to hold on tightly against his neck. After they landed safely, the tamers ran off with their Digimon.   
  
Izzy leaned out to see the kids run away. 'What is their connection with the digital world? How do they know about me? What do they know? I have to get a message to the others.' He typed a message and sent it to the D terminals before dashing off to make some phone calls.   
  
  
Whoa!! Already this is on the favorites list of four people!!! Anyways, it'll take a bit of time to set up a meeting between the tamers and the Emperor so please be patient!! I shouldn't be on the internet now but luckily, the password to access the net is saved. Lucky me!!  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	3. First Configuration, Section Three

Author's Notes: Sorry it took so long to update. School's starting to get crazy and I have to focus on my assignments and stuff. Enough talking from me.   
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 1.3  
  
"Which way did they go?" Izzy had to look outside the window to remember where he saw them run off. "When they got to the gates, they made a left turn." TK nodded. "We better split up and look for them. Davis, you cover the central area of the city. Yolei and Cody will take the east side while me and Kari will take the west side." Izzy started to speak. "Hey-"  
  
"Why do you get to go with Kari?" Davis whined. "There's no time for that now, Davis! We have to find them before they start to do something crazy," stated Kari. TK continued issuing orders. "As soon as you see them, contact the others immediately. Do not confront them until everybody else has arrived. We don't know what other tricks they have up their sleeve. I also want every in-training Digimon to turn into their rookie forms so that you can armor-digivolve if things get intense."   
  
"Right!!" The three in-training Digimon concentrated their energy. "Poromon digivolved to...Hawkmon!" "Upamon digivolved to...Armadillomon!" "Demiveemon digivolved to...Veemon!" Izzy tried to speak again. "Guys-" "If things start to turn ugly, we can spring Shurimon on them and take them by surprise!! They probably don't know about him yet!"   
  
"Sure, Yolei. Just keep bragging about that Digiegg." Yolei turned to give Davis the evil eye. "Like you didn't brag yourself when you got that Digiegg of Friendship." Cody cleared his throat. "That's enough, we have work to do!" "Wait a min-" The kids had already left. Izzy sighed and decided to tell his theory at another meeting.   
  
************  
  
Takato looked up at the fiery display in the sky when the sun started to set. "It's getting dark. We should find a place to camp out for the night. Besides I'm getting tired from carrying Guilmon." Henry nodded. "We better find a place that shouldn't be out in the open. Otherwise, the Digidestined may find us." Rika remained silent.   
  
It was fairly easy to cover for their Digimon. Renamon remained hidden while Terriermon pretended to be a stuffed animal. For Guilmon, the costume idea wouldn't work since nobody had any idea about Digimon except for the Heighten View Terrace attacks. So he had to pretend he was a grand prize Takato won at a carnival.   
  
They passed by an electronics store where a news reporter was broadcasting the disappearance of boy genius Ken Ichijoji. It then showed an emotional scene with his parents crying. Takato stopped at the television. "Henry...we have to find a way to get home. I don't want to make my parents worry."   
  
The other boy stopped and noticed Ken's parents. "I know what you mean." Rika growled silently at their weakness. But when she looked at that screen, she could have sworn she saw her mother and grandmother crying instead of Ken's parents.   
  
For a moment, she was stunned. How could they miss her? She wasn't exactly the nicest child on the block. There were probably a dozen other kids who could appreciate them more. "Hey!" She looked up to see Henry. "We know what you're going through. If you want, we can talk about it."   
  
Her face hardened. "Just leave me alone." Takato sighed. No matter what they tried, they just couldn't get through to her. Then he saw a small white blur out of the corner of his eye. "Did you see that? I think it looked like Calumon!!" Rika blinked. "Calumon?" "Yeah, the little white Digimon that doesn't appear to want a tamer! I think I saw him go into that building over there!"  
  
"You're insane." Takato ignored Rika's comment. "We should try and find him. Who knows what damage he may cause by trying to have fun!" Henry nodded. "Yeah. He may also contain some sort of key that may help us get back." Both boys started to run towards the building when they noticed that Rika was still standing there. "Coming? If you don't feel comfortable going into that abandoned warehouse, we'll understand," said Henry with a small grin.  
  
'I don't know who's the bigger fool: Takato for seeing an illusion, Henry for believing him or me for not ditching these morons!!' Rika snapped out of her thoughts. "A tamer doesn't run away from any danger. Let's go." When she was out of hearing range, Takato leaned in to whisper something to Henry. "How did you know what to say to make her follow us?" Henry tapped his index finger on his nose knowingly. "She's one of those warrior types who doesn't refuse a battle."  
  
************  
  
"What took you two so long?!" Cody and Yolei both raised a finger to quiet Davis. "For your information, it took only five minutes. TK and Kari will take a bit longer since they're on the other side." Davis wiped his mouth. "Yeah, whatever. Now that we got them, we should go in there and take them by surprise! Ready, Veemon?" The little Digimon nodded energetically. "Digi Armor..."  
  
"Are you nuts?!? We don't know what to expect!! At least with TK and Kari, we outnumber them!" "Look, Yolei, this may be our only chance to confront them. If we don't stop them here and now, then there may never be another chance!" Hawkmon gave a small whistle to calm everybody down. "From what I remember back at the diner, only the female and her Digimon showed signs of aggression and that was towards the enemy." Armadillomon turned to Hawkmon. "So what does that mean?"  
  
"This could be a huge misunderstanding. Yes, we must confront them but we should talk to them instead of fighting." Cody gave a small smile. "That's right. Plus this will buy a little more time. If a fight starts, then reinforcements won't be too far behind." Davis pouted. "Talk to those kids?" A sly smile crept up to Yolei's lips. "I'm sure that Kari would be impressed if you were able to talk those kids into joining us." Davis straightened up. "Talking, it is!"  
  
************  
  
"This search is meaningless," stated Rika. Henry sighed. "Maybe you're right." Terriermon patted Henry's head. "Henry! Momentai!!" "Hey, you!!" The tamers whirled to see Cody, Yolei and Davis at the entrance. "Renamon, party time." The fox Digimon appeared beside Rika. "And we're the entertainment."  
  
"Whoa!! We just want to talk!" Henry came up to where Rika was standing. "Let's hear them out. So what's on your minds?" Davis scratched his head. "Uh...well..." Rika smirked. "You say that you want to talk but when you get the chance, all you do is stutter! I wonder what they were thinking when they selected you to be a protector of the digital world!"  
  
Before Davis could retort, Cody spoke up. "What is your connection with the digital world? What are you doing here?" "It was an-" Takato clamped a hand over Guilmon's mouth. During their outing in the city, Henry had lectured them about how important it was that they don't tell anyone anything about themselves or their world.  
  
"Why won't you give us any answers?" Takato started to speak. "We can't-" "-because we know things about the digital world that you amateurs could never think of!" finished Rika. Davis was really starting to get angry. "Try us!!" Rika snorted. "You still wouldn't get it if we drew big diagrams and explained it to you step by step. Now do you want to talk or do you want to fight?" "Rika, what are you doing?!? You can't destroy them!!" She smiled coldly at Henry. "I won't destroy them. Just beat them up to a pulp."  
  
"To the point where they are paralyzed for life? That's just as bad," said Terriermon. "Looks like diplomacy is dead. I suppose that if we're going to find any answers, we have to fight," said Cody. He took out his D3.   
  
"DIGI ARMOR ENERGIZE!!"  
  
"Veemon armor-digivolved to...Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!!"  
"Hawkmon armor-digivolved to...Shurimon, the Samurai of Sincerity!!"  
"Armadillomon armor-digivolved to...Digmon, the Drill of Power!!"  
  
Henry sighed. "Looks like we have to back her up." Takato groaned. "Just great. We have to watch the back of a battle-thirsty maniac." Rika ignored that comment as Renamon dodged Flamedramon's Fire Rocket. Shurimon aimed a Double Star at Terriermon. Henry grabbed a card. "Digi Modify!! Speed Activate!!" Terriermon jumped on the vine that connected the star. He quickly ran up to Shurimon. "Terrier Tornado!!"   
  
"Rock Cracking!!" The drill Digimon cracked the ground and it was heading towards Guilmon. "Digi Modify!! Hyperwing Activate!!" Guilmon flew up to safety. "Pyro Sphere!!" Digmon dodged it and aimed a Gold Rush at Guilmon.   
  
Flamedramon leapt into the air for his Fire Rocket Charge attack. Rika pulled out a card and was about to slide it through her Digivice when a little Digimon came into view. "Wow!! This is way better than Hide and Seek!!" "What the-?" Davis had no time to finish his sentence when Flamedramon started diving down. "CALUMON!!!"  
  
  
I think I should stop. It's a little past 11 p.m. and I need sleep...  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. First Configuration, Section Four

Author's Notes: I'm going to be making a huge assumption about the Digimon Trading Card Game. I've been reading the rules and they're kind of confusing. The actual cards featuring Digimon in the American version have red, green and yellow shapes on the bottom of the card, telling its attacks and attributes. It looked very similar to the cards Rika used in episode 6, primarily Agumon's Frozen Wind and Snimon's Twin Sickle, with the red, green and yellow shapes and all. So I'm assuming that when one of the tamers is giving a new attack (temporary of course) to their Digimon, it's going to be one of the game cards featuring a Digimon in the American version. A possible example may be Gatomon's Lightning Claw or Myotismon's Grizzly Wing. They are on the Gatomon and Myotismon cards respectively in the American version, thus it can be a Modify card. If there are any Digimon card game experts who know better, let me know when you read this fic and I'll gladly acknowledge that. I plan to start using new cards by the fifth chapter so please make sure I don't make any mistakes! Thank you!! Holy moly, I shouldn't be going on like this.  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 1.4  
  
"CALUMON!!!" Henry saw that Shurimon was dizzy thanks to the Terrier Tornado in his face. "Terriermon, get Calumon out of the way!!" The Digimon sprinted off to the battle area where Renamon was still holding her ground. Henry turned to Rika. "Rika, you have to hold Flamedramon until we get Calumon to safety!!"  
  
She gritted her teeth. 'Okay, I have two choices. One is to ignore the kid, do what any self-respecting warrior and digital tactical genius would do and order their Digimon to dodge and counterattack when the enemy is in a bad position, especially after hitting an innocent target.' She looked at the diving Flamedramon and turned her gaze to the happy, little Digimon. 'Or use a Modify card to hold off the enemy while an innocent is rushed to safety...sometimes I disgust even myself.' "Renamon, use the frozen wind to stall Flamedramon while they get Calumon out of here!"   
  
The fox Digimon was slightly stunned at her tamer's decision but nodded. "Digi Modify!! Agumon's Frozen Wind Activate!!!" Renamon leapt to face Flamedramon and fired a frozen wind at him. He started to slow down and eventually the two were at a stalemate. Terriermon used this to push Calumon out of the way and to safety. "Do you want to get killed or something?" asked the rabbit-eared Digimon.   
  
"Terriermon!! Watch out!!!" He looked up thanks to Henry's warning to see Digmon's Gold Rush coming straight at him since it missed Guilmon. Henry's Digivice started to glow. "No...not again..." Yolei gave a startled yelp. "Is he...digivolving?" Cody looked at Henry. "Why would he not want his Digimon to digivolve?"  
  
DIGIVOLUTION..... "Terriermon digivolved to...Gargomon!!!!!"  
  
The attack was deflected thanks to a few blasts from Gargomon. "Don't start firing like crazy!!" Gargomon stared at Henry with a curious look. "I'm not crazy. I only fired to deflect those attacks." A look of relief came across Henry's face. "That's good." Rika stared in shock. 'This time he's in control!! I have to know the digivolution secret!'  
  
"Come on, Shurimon! You have to get up!!" The ninja Digimon tried to shake the stars out but another blow hit him as Gargomon sent him flying outside. An explosion rocked the building as Renamon and Flamedramon are sent to the ground. They both got up, ready for more. Henry shouted at Takato. "I need the Training Grip card!!" Takato tossed the card to Henry. "Digi Modify!! Training Grip Activate!"   
  
The grips appeared on Gargomon's ears. With one mighty push, he tossed them at Flamedramon, who became too tangled up to fight. "Hey, no fair!! You got those cards!!" yelled Davis. "Guilmon, let's disable Digmon with one good blast!!" Takato flipped out a card. "Digi Modify! Power Activate!!" Guilmon dived towards Digmon, who just got his drills back from the Gold Rush. "Pyro Sphere!!!" Digmon was blasted back. "Digmon!!"  
  
"We should get out of here!!" Rika was about to argue but Henry's tone made it clear that there had been enough fighting. "Renamon, grab the little squirt and move out!!" Renamon moved over to where the energetic Digimon was and grabbed him before he could move. "You're coming with us, little one."  
  
"Takato, Guilmon, get going! Gargomon, fire a burst shot to create enough dust for a smokescreen and then retreat!!" Moments later, the Digidestined were coughing up dust while the tamers escaped with Calamon. TK and Kari arrived just as the smoke cleared and everybody went back to their in-training forms. "I told you to wait, Davis!" Before Davis could argue, the D-terminal started beeping.   
  
"Izzy's calling up a meeting for tomorrow to discuss a new theory about those kids. I say that we should go home and get some rest after tonight," stated Cody. The others gave simultaneous 'mm-hmm's before departing.  
  
************  
  
"That was pretty fun! We should do it again sometime!" Calumon tried to move but Renamon kept a firm grip on him. Takato bent down to look Calumon right in the eye. "How did you get here?" Calumon scratched his head. "Well, you were fighting that little Digimon...all sorts of flashes happened. Then I was here. I had been having lots of fun, especially with making the baseball diamond! Now it's boring because I can't move and play any games!"  
  
"Why don't you want to have your Digimon digivolve? Sure, it takes some time but the more they digivolve, the more control they gain." Once again, Gargomon is standing on his head to try to go back to being Terriermon. Guilmon was doing the same thing but kept falling over.   
  
Henry glared at Rika. "What is it with you and your obsession about digivolution anyway?" Rika crossed her arms. "Because I want Renamon to be the best. Like me. So why don't you tell me what you did to make your little friend digivolve..." Henry remained silent.   
  
"We should go back to the digital world." Both tamers gave Takato a surprised look about his suggestion. "Think about it. The digital world is Calumon's home. He's probably been looking for a way to get back...after having a lot of fun first."   
  
The little Digimon poked his head up at the word 'fun'. "It'll also be a lot easier for us since we won't have to pretend our Digimon are stuffed animals. For you two, it's not a big deal but when you have to carry a heavy Digimon around, you'll understand. We may also have problems if people found out about Digimon. In the digital world, the only problem we have to deal with is avoiding the Digimon Emperor."   
  
Rika snorted. "Digimon Emperor...he's just an emotional basketcase. He only pretends to be tough and that's through the Dark Spores." Henry raised an eyebrow. "That's probably an area you specialize at. And I thought you aren't the type that watches anime cartoons."  
  
"I don't. My mother makes me spend some time with her. She's trying to understand me so every Thursday, she drags me down to the TV to watch Digimon. Quality mother-daughter time." Takato scratched his head. "Right...where was I? Oh, yeah. It'll also be easier to get by in the digital world. I'm sure we can find the resources we need to survive."  
  
"What about sleeping bags or something? You're not seriously thinking of sleeping on the ground," said Rika. "Why? Do you need a sleeping bag for your beauty sleep or something?" asked Takato in a teasing tone. Rika shot Takato a poisonous glare.   
  
"I'm not planning on becoming a criminal and stealing sleeping bags. Even though we are in another world, there's still law enforcement. We'll just have to rough it. Just like the original Digidestined! Now we just need a computer to open up a digital gate with our Digivices," murmured Henry. "Don't tell me that your new theory is that our Digivices can open the gateway from any computer. For your information, these are not D3's! Let's break in to the computer lab at the school. It should be closed by now."  
  
Henry narrowed his eyes. "So what you're saying, Rika, is that we should go in the same way we came out?" "Precisely. The Digimon Emperor has his guard down by sleeping. We can go in without expecting a dozen Digimon waiting for us. As much as I would like to fight, I'm not in the best condition and neither is Renamon."  
  
Takato grinned. "So you actually admit you're tired..." "Shut up, goggle boy."  
  
************  
  
"Someone broke into the school!" There was a huge crowd at the door, looking at the destroyed doorknob. Police officers have went inside to survey the damage so classes were cancelled for the day. Davis looked at the broken door. "It has to be those kids that did this!!" Yolei gave a sly smile. "Gee, Sherlock, whatever gave you that clue?"  
  
Izzy came up behind them. "I'll wager that they went into the computer lab to open the gate to the digital world." Cody clenched his fists. "We have to find them before they do any damage to the digital world!"  
  
"I don't think they want to do anything to the digital world. I've been thinking why they've been acting so strangely and trying to ignore every question we throw at them." TK looked at Izzy. "Is this the theory you've been trying to tell us?"  
  
"Yes, TK. When I was running to make some phone calls, our English Language teacher was in the AV room, watching one of his Star Trek tapes. Then it hit me. Once, he invited me to watch a Star Trek episode. He said I would probably like it. To make things easier, he programmed the TV to give Japanese subtitles. The episode was very intriguing but..." "Izzy!!" The boy stopped to see all the glares he was receiving.  
  
"Sorry...there was something called the temporal prime directive that forbids any direct interaction between people of the future and people of the past. If information is given, the future may be changed significantly. My theory is that those kids come from the future." "WHAT?!?!?!?!?"  
  
"Think about it. They obviously have superior Digivices and have cards to aid their Digimon in battle. To be totally honest, they can do a lot more for their Digimon in battle while all we do is provide the Digimon with a way to digivolve. Their rookie Digimon are more powerful than any of ours and they refused to tell us any information that they know. From this information, the most plausible explanation is that they come from an alternate timeline." Kari was the first to shake off the shocked expression that was etched across each face of the Digidestined. "So why did they come here to the past?"  
  
"There are two possibilities. It could have been an accident and they aren't supposed to be here. Or they came back in order to complete a mission. If they are on a mission, then it's likely that the digital world is being taken over by the forces of darkness. It could be the Digimon Emperor or a new force that is simply too much for us to handle." TK swallowed nervously. "So what do we do with those kids?"  
  
"First, we have to find them in the digital world. Hopefully, your D3s can pick up the signals on their Digivices. Once you locate them, we have to try diplomacy. From what I seen, the boys look nice but the girl seems to be the loose cannon." Yolei stroked her chin. "Now that I think about it, she was the one who challenged us to fight in the first place. How the heck did she become a member of the team?!?"  
  
************  
  
"According to my data, this area was the last location of those new kids. Airdramon, circle around once more." The Digimon Emperor had been searching the digital world for his unknown variable for the past few hours. Wormmon could see the fatigue setting in his master's eyes.  
  
"You know, master, you should really get some sleep. If you keep going on like this, you won't be alert enough to deal with any problems." The Emperor looked like he was about to hit Wormmon but he dropped his arm. "For once, you came up with a good idea. Airdramon...return to...base..."   
  
In the distance, a light was flashing on and off. Wormmon could barely make it out. "Master, I just saw a weird light." The Emperor didn't respond for a few seconds. All Wormmon could make out was "Deal...with...it.." Wormmon thought about it for a moment and decided that Shogungekomon is the closest unit to the light. After all, the Emperor shouldn't be disturbed with something so minor. And the fact that Shogungekomon can understand how important a good night's sleep is worth.   
  
  
A bit of jumping back and forth with the Digidestined checking out things in the following morning while Wormmon saw the light that gave away the tamers' position on that night. Anyway, I would like to have at least 10 new reviews before I post up V 1.5. That shouldn't be too hard, eh?   



	5. First Configuration, Section Five

Author's Notes: I would like to give special thanks to sakuyamon for giving me the address for the Digimon encyclopedia. It has a lot of Japanese cards on it and stuff. It also has some English translations for the series. Like Culumon to Calumon. I made the correct changes for V 1.3 and V 1.4 so don't worry. What I'm planning on doing for the cards is using the translation provided in the show. (Hyperwing for White Wings) If no translation is available, I'll either use the Japanese name (if it's not ridiculous like 'Shake!') or make up something myself that should be a good name describing the card almost instantly. (Possible example...Dark Training Manual {Japanese} Viral Conversion {my name for the card})   
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 1.5  
  
'Man, I wish I had Terriermon to stand guard with me. At least he's more talkative than Renamon.' Takato could hear Henry snoring. Calumon was sleeping near Rika. He took out his notebook to work on Guilmon's champion level form. "Let's see...his armor will now be able to withstand the attacks of ultimate level Digimon. He'll have a Pyro Blaster and some Plasma Blades...some hair here, stripes there...yeah. He'll be the baddest champion virus Digimon in the digital world! All I need now is a good name...Growlmon!!"  
  
"A curious exercise." Takato nearly jumped out of his skin. He calmed down to see the fox Digimon looking over his shoulder. "Geez, Renamon. It's not nice to sneak up on people like that! Anything new or is it all the same out there?" "It's still quiet. No unusual activity. I wish something would happen though. I'm getting restless."  
  
"It'll be another hour or so before the sun rises. If you want, you can go back to see if there'll be anything new or you can talk to me for a bit." Renamon pondered this for a while. "Very well. What are you doing with that notebook and why are you making up Digimon statistics?"  
  
"In case Guilmon decides to digivolve. He will need a champion form so I'm making one up. I should probably get some work done on his ultimate and mega forms too." The fox Digimon raised an eyebrow. "How exactly can you create his other forms?"  
  
"Before I found the blue card, I was the usual Digimon fanatic. I even created Guilmon from scratch. His armor in his rookie form can shield him from most champion level attacks. He has his Pyro Sphere attack and I always did have a preference to virus types so that was his type. After my Digivice was formed, it scanned all the stats and the picture I had drawn to create Guilmon. Since I created his rookie form, I should be able to create his champion, ultimate and mega forms as well."  
  
Renamon smirked. "I thought as much. Now I understand why you smother Guilmon so much. You would definitely make a better mother than a tamer." Takato looked up from his notebook. "And your relationship with Rika is what the ideal Digimon/Digimon tamer relation should be?"  
  
He got no reply from the fox Digimon. 'He may be a ridiculous tamer with a freak Digimon but they have the bond which binds tamers and Digimon together.' She looked at the sleeping Rika. 'Will we ever find that bond, Rika?' Renamon's ears twitched. "What was that?" Takato narrowed his eyes. "I don't know. I didn't feel anything." "Quiet!!" Takato breathed slowly.   
  
BOOM.  
  
He felt the slight rumble of the ground. "Something huge is coming..." He started to shake Henry, Terriermon and Guilmon. Renamon simply said 'wake up' and Rika was up in a flash. "Time for our morning exercises." A cold smile made its way to Rika's lips. "About time." The rumbling got louder. A huge shape came from behind.  
  
Takato went pale at the huge amphibian Digimon before them. "If your morning exercises include battling ultimate level Digimon, then I don't want to know what you do for your daily workouts!" Shogungekomon shot a Musical Fist at the tamers. They were all thrown back.   
  
Rika took out a card. "Digi Modify!! Boost Chip Activate!" [AN: I have no idea why the show referred it as paper chip so I'll refer to this card as the Boost Chip] Takato blinked. "She...she can't do that! Renamon's a rookie level Digimon and the Boost Chip can't be used on rookie, champion or armor Digimon!!"   
  
"For your information, goggle boy, this isn't the game! The rules may be bent, even broken here!! I for one intend to take advantage of that." Rika turned her attention to the battle before her. Takato looked at Henry. "Even though it's possible, I won't break the rules. The consequences may be too risky and I'm not about to let Terriermon get hurt."  
  
Terriermon and Guilmon dodged a Frog Kick. "We have to boost our attack power like crazy!" Takato took out some cards and started searching. "Digi Modify! Power Activate!!" Guilmon powered up his attack. "Pyro Sphere!!" Shogungekomon didn't even feel the damage. Takato found another card. "This should give Guilmon some major power! Digi Modify!! Black Gear Activate!!!"   
  
************  
  
The door slid open to reveal a somewhat more refreshed Digimon Emperor. "Good morning, master. Your breakfast will be ready in a few minutes." The Emperor just walked past Wormmon to the map in the cockpit. "Now, the last thing I remember is scanning sector 1001, grid K, the last known position of those new kids. I know there's something missing. But what?"  
  
"You know, master, it's really important to start your day with a good, healthy breakfast." Wormmon brought a tray to the Emperor. He still didn't respond. Wormmon decided to try something else. "I'll check today's schedule...all you have here is work on the new project, searching for those kids and forcing some useless slaves to test out a few booby traps you set along sector 4521. Compared to some of your other schedules, this one is light..."  
  
The Emperor straightened up. "You said light...right before I drifted off, you said you saw a weird light flicker!!!" He got up and grabbed Wormmon. "How dare you not wake me up!!! It could have been those new kids!!! Where did you see it?!?"  
  
************  
  
"We have to fall back and retreat!! We just can't handle an ultimate yet!!" Henry cradled an unconscious Terriermon. Takato and Guilmon were trying to blast off the dark spiral. Rika gritted her teeth in frustration. 'Damn you, Renamon!! Why can't you digivolve?!?' "We have the power at our fingertips! It's all a matter of knowing which cards to use!" Renamon kept playing keep away with Shogungekomon.  
  
"That big oaf is a virus type and virus types are somewhat weak against vaccine...of course!!" Rika pulled out a card. "Digi Modify!! Wargreymon's Terra Force Activate!!" Henry's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "Are you nuts?!? Renamon's a rookie!! She can't handle mega attacks!!"  
  
"She can handle it. Besides, Wargreymon is one of the most powerful vaccine Digimon there is." Renamon charged up the Terra Force. "Metalgreymon would have been just as sufficient. Remember in the episode where Mimi woke up Shogungekomon..." "Rika!! I can't hold it!!!" Renamon dropped the huge ball of energy.   
  
When the dust cleared, Shogungekomon was still standing. Henry was knocked unconscious. Renamon and Rika were barely able to keep awake. Guilmon's armor gave him partial protection but Takato's body had little strength left. "Takatomon...are you okay?"  
  
"For now, yeah. But Shogungekomon's gonna finish us all. You gotta run while you still can. Take Calumon with you and find a new home. Watch out for the Emperor." Guilmon's eyes started to water. Takato gave a weak smile and grasped Guilmon's clawed hand. "I'll always remember the good times...buddy..." His hand dropped from Guilmon's. "Takatomon...TAKATO!!!!" Calumon was nearby when a blast of energy erupted through him straight to Guilmon and Takato.  
  
DIGIVOLUTION.... "Guilmon digivolved to...Growlmon!!!!"   
  
Takato woke to see a massive dinosaur Digimon standing before him. "I can feel your new power. How...you must be sharing your power with me!" Growlmon took a few steps towards Shogungekomon while Takato got up. "If you're still willing to fight, so am I!!" Rika stared in awe. 'How...? The gogglehead doesn't know what he's doing but he is still able to make his Digimon digivolve!! What is the secret?!?'  
  
"We gotta try and blast that spiral on Shogungekomon's tail!!" A Musical Fist blasted the area but Growlmon kept his ground. "Okey dokey!!" "Digi Modify!! Hyperwing Activate!!" Growlmon grew a pair of wings and took off. "Pyro Blaster!!!" It hit the spiral but it still remained intact. Takato gasped. 'What...? The Emperor must have made it stronger on the outside. I have to try and get the spiral off but the longer it takes, the longer we are in danger. Even with his armor, Growlmon may not be able to win!'  
  
"Digi Modify!! Speed Activate!!" Growlmon dived towards the ultimate level Digimon. He dodged a punch and shot a few Pyro Blasters directly at the spiral. It still wouldn't budge. 'This isn't making any sense!! Until we know exactly what the Emperor did with his spirals...there's no other choice. We have to destroy these Digimon.'  
  
"Change of plan!! Attack anywhere on Shogungekomon!!" Growlmon blocked a Frog Kick and jumped back a bit. "Time for the trump card!! This combined with the Black Gear should give enough power to finish the job!! Digi Modify!!! Viral Boost Chip Activate!!" {Original Japanese: Devil Chip} Growlmon unleashed a gigantic Pyro Blaster to destroy Shogungekomon. He began to download his data. Renamon watched silently. 'So the kid really can create new powers for his Digimon.'  
  
************  
  
"It's about time we can get into school!! I can't believe I said that!" The investigation had concluded as a vandalism case. After all, nothing was stolen. The Digidestined headed into the computer lab. Izzy went to the keyboard to access the area where the new kids were located at. "Very clever. They reset the map to global so I can't get a fix on their exact location."  
  
Kari sighed. "Looks like we'll have to go in there and find them ourselves. Can the D3s hook up with their Digivices?" Izzy kept typing. "I'm not sure. I haven't had a chance to examine them or their Digimon. That reminds me. Once you establish a friendly relation, can you ask them to let me conduct a few tests on their...wait! I forgot. Temporal prime directive."   
  
"I hope the Digimon Emperor doesn't find them. Who knows what'll happen?" Upamon bounced into Cody's arms. "Don't worry about it. They know how to fight well and there are plenty of places to hide from the Emperor!"  
  
************  
  
"Great! Desert, desert and more desert!! Couldn't you have picked a place more tropical with water and fruit and plenty of space to hide? With Growlmon so red, we might as well write 'Digimon Tamers right here!!' or something!!" Henry shook his head. "I may be a computer expert but that was my first time actually accessing the gate. If I knew where to program the location, I would. Since I couldn't, the gate just picked a random location for us."   
  
The Digimon were walking behind their tamers, keeping an eye out for vegetation and natural resources. Calumon just walked beside Rika. "Hey, Henry. I was just wondering if Calumon triggers the digivolving process." Rika's ears perked up. "Think about it. Calumon was there during the fight with the Digidestined. And I could have sworn I saw a light glowing on his forehead before I blacked out. The next thing I knew, there was Growlmon."  
  
Henry scratched his chin. "Interesting observation. It may be possible he was at the garage when Terriermon digivolved to Gargomon that time. But what about when Terriermon digivolved in my computer game?" A surprised yelp from behind caught all three tamers' attention. They turned around to see their Digimon down with dark spirals on their bodies. The Emperor was hovering above with Airdramon.  
  
"Ah, so I finally meet the new kids. It was extremely fortunate for me that I saw your red Digimon. Otherwise, it would have been a lot harder to find you." Takato mentally cursed himself for making Growlmon so red. Henry also had a similar look of guilt for not being able to program the digital gate to find a better location.   
  
The Emperor chuckled. "I'm looking forward to seeing what these new specimens can do. I will take them back to study them physically and examine their data for possible digivolutions. But first, I plan to conduct a little test on their attack power. You see, all that remained of Shogungekomon...well, there was nothing left to analyze. With such inconclusive evidence, I have to see what they can do for myself. And as for a target, I suppose that you'll have to do." The three Digimon slowly got up...and it looked like that they were ready to do the Emperor's bidding.  
  
  
Cliffhangers...don't you love them? Some things may not make sense now but I'll explain in the next chapter. If you want it, just review. Thanks once again to sakuyamon for the address!! If you want to know the address, it's www.megchan.com/digimon/encyclopedia. By the way, I have YTV and so far I'm loving the new episodes!! About plans for possible romances, I'm skeptical but I'll leave hints around in case I decide it can work. Sorry for the cheesy dramatic moment between Takato and Guilmon. One more thing: The reason why they all recovered fairly quickly from Shogungekomon is because a) Digimon heal fast {Wizardmon said it himself} b) The tamers have to keep going whether they like it or not. There, I said it! 


	6. First Configuration, Section Six

Author's Notes: I based the tamer digivolution theory on something else other than the card game. In certain cases, there has to be a certain amount of care displayed by the tamer for his or her Digimon and vice-versa. An example would be with Rika and Renamon. (Episode 6 and Episode 10) Let's not forget Takato and Guilmon. (Episode 8) I would have to say that Henry and Terriermon would best represent the digivolution theory in the trading card game.   
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 1.6  
  
"T-this can't be happening...our own Digimon are going to finish us..." Takato was pale. The Emperor smirked. "Destroy those three kids!!" Rika's expression remained as calm as ever. "What's wrong with you, Renamon? You should have been able to dodge that easily." Henry, Takato and the Emperor gave a start. Renamon shook off the dizziness before tearing the spiral from her body. "I'm sorry, Rika."  
  
Now it was the Emperor's turn to go pale. "I ordered you to destroy them!!!!" Growlmon looked at the Emperor strangely. His eyes were not red at all but stayed their normal yellow colour. "Why would we do what you say?" Takato rushed forward to hug Growlmon's leg. "Thank goodness you aren't affected by the dark spiral!! Do you mind destroying the spiral on your arm?"  
  
"Okay, Takatomon." Growlmon ripped the spiral off effortlessly. Terriermon was having a little problem. "Uh...Henry?" Henry took out a card. "Digi Modify!!! Expansion Activate!!" The rabbit-eared Digimon expanded until the spiral snapped off from his body.   
  
"Master? Are you alright?" The Emperor was still in a great deal of shock. "They destroyed one of my greatest creations just like that...I don't understand...they are programmed to take control of any Digimon in the digital world!!" He tried to breathe calmly but was having difficulty with the great amount of stress on his mind. After a few moments, he regained his proud posture. 'I'll have to analyze whatever data the spirals were able to pick up from these Digimon...if these are really Digimon.' "Flymon, attack!!"   
  
The air started filling with buzzing noises. Then Flymon started coming from everywhere and attacking the tamers. The Emperor took this opportunity to retreat back to his headquarters. "Don't destroy those Digimon!! Just aim for the dark rings! Digi Modify!! Targeting Activate!!" Rika rolled her eyes before flipping out a card. "Digi Modify!! Snimon's Twin Sickles Activate!!" Renamon's arms were replaced with scythes. "Twin Sickles!!"  
  
Henry turned to Takato, who was staying a good distance behind to let Growlmon fight. "Can we even get these things off? From what you told me, you were having trouble with the dark spiral on Shogungekomon. What makes you think you will have better luck with the rings? They're made of the same material and have the same programming. The only difference is that the spiral's programming has been expanded to control even ultimate level Digimon."   
  
Terriermon was having trouble dodging Flymon and keeping an eye out for Calumon at the same time. "After the data was downloaded, I saw a small weird object from where the spiral disappeared. It had three shapes and was connected by electricity. Before I could get a good look, it went off somewhere."  
  
"Could it be responsible for bringing us here in the first place?" Takato shrugged. "Maybe it collided with Vilemon's data or something. Hey, do you have any idea how our Digimon were unaffected by the Digimon Emperor's dark rings and stuff?" Most of the Flymon had been returned to normal thanks to good aim from Growlmon. The rest were destroyed and downloaded by Renamon.  
  
"He was ranting about how he programmed them to take control of any Digimon in the digital world. He designed them specifically for the Digimon native to this digital world. Our Digimon come from a different digital world. Since their data is completely foreign here, the spirals can't recognize the normal patterns and are unable to carry out their function." Terriermon leapt on to Henry's arms to get to his head. "Enough with that technical talk, Henry! Momentai!!"  
  
************  
  
"The spirals didn't pick up any data?!?" The Emperor's patience had become very thin. Wormmon looked at the monitor. "You did get a little bit on the red Digimon, master." "Quiet!!!! Let's see...rookie form is Guilmon. Cross referencing with the database and...no match. Champion form is Growlmon. No match too for that Digimon. Other forms unknown."  
  
He leaned back in his chair and rubbed his forehead. Then he saw a tiny detail in the data that he saw before. "This line of programming...it has a similar pattern as that unidentified programming I found when analyzing the remains of Shogungekomon's spiral! Maybe if I can crack that code, I can refine my dark spirals to take control of those three Digimon!!" A small alarm went off by the computer, signaling the detection of an unidentified stream of data.  
  
"Well, what do you know...a program that doesn't belong here. The entire program is made entirely out of the same code on the spiral." His eyes widened when the program started to disappear. "No!!! I need it to find out how to control those three Digimon!!!" He typed furiously, trying to create algorithms to stop his opponent from stealing the program.   
  
************  
  
"Sir, I have a faint signal. It's definitely Yuggoth."  
  
"I'm trying to get it back into our system but someone is blocking our attempts."  
  
The man kept playing with the lighter. "Get it back. Now." The women typed faster. "Got it!! It's in the mainframe!"  
  
CLICK. CLICK. "Excellent. I want it back up as soon as possible. We have to eliminate whatever is causing these...things to bio-emerge. Also start investigating what happened when Yuggoth tried to delete that digital field. I want to make sure this doesn't happen again."  
  
************  
  
"These are unusual Digimon, my dear. I wonder where they came from." Arukenimon narrowed her eyes before smacking Mummymon upside the head. "They may be the only Digimon more unusual than you. We need to get some more data on them and those three humans or they may spoil everything. The spiral wasn't able to pick up anything from the fox Digimon or the little rabbit."   
  
Mummymon rubbed his head. "But we still got the information about the dinosaur." "It's not enough. There's no data on him for an ultimate and a mega form yet. From what I can tell, all Digimon have an in-training, rookie, champion, ultimate and mega forms. This one is still being made or something like that. Not to worry. As soon as he gains an ultimate or a mega form, we will know. But I don't think we can take that chance. He may prove to be most annoying."  
  
"So this means...?" "This means we may have to step in a little earlier than expected."   
  
  
I haven't seen any new episodes on YTV lately. Anyway, I have a reason for making up the fact about the ability to gather data through the dark spirals. The data reaches the Emperor and then to the puppet masters. Then Arukenimon uses the data to make control spire Digimon. And there's an evil version of Guilmon's mega form just waiting to be unleashed...check out the Digimon encyclopedia to see what I mean. It will take a bit of time to get to that point so be patient!! If you want me to try and get out more chapters faster, just review!!   



	7. First Configuration, Section Seven

Author's Notes: Yay!! YTV is starting up new episodes again!! By the way, there is an evil version of Guilmon's mega form. I'm aware that in mega form, he is a holy knight Digimon. I was actually referring to another Digimon: Chaos Dukemon, the dark knight Digimon...who we know nearly nothing about. Since I don't know too much about him, I'll probably stick with his ultimate form for a bit before upgrading to mega. As for why Terriermon says 'momentai', don't ask me.  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 1.7  
  
"Let's go, Growlmon!! No pain, no gain!!" Growlmon struggled to breathe as he kept jogging beside Takato. Renamon and Rika had emotionless expressions while Terriermon was laughing at how funny Growlmon looked when he was tired. "Are you absolutely sure this will work?"  
  
Takato kept jogging, regardless of how much his body ached. "You said it yourself, Henry. pant The only way to get Growlmon pant back to normal is to make him run out pant of energy. Then he'll have to become Guilmon again. pant And I have to wear myself out as well. pant The tamer's energy is also a pant key part of him retaining his champion form." The ground rumbled as Growlmon collapsed. Takato decided not to continue this meaningless exercise and fell down as well.  
  
Calumon waddled up to them. "The two of you are tired but Growlmon is still here. I wish I can help you go back to normal. I know I helped Guilmon digivolve in the first place. I think." Rika kept her gaze on Calumon. 'That little pipsqueak may be the key to helping Renamon get to the next level. I'll have to watch him carefully.'  
  
"You should have waited before starting this workout. At least until we found a place a little less out in the open. I don't know if this forest can completely hide Growlmon, with his size and red skin," stated Henry. A small bush nearby started shaking up a bit. Renamon slowly crept up to do a sneak attack on whoever popped out. Something came out and was about to talk when Renamon tossed a punch. Flamedramon blocked it in time and tossed Renamon over his shoulder. She recovered in the air and landed on her feet Henry raised his arms. "That's enough!! Stop this senseless fighting, you two! There's been enough battle for today!!!"  
  
Flamedramon snorted. "Tell her that." Rika's eyes narrowed at Henry. "Don't tell Renamon what to do!! She's mine!!" Takato and Growlmon got up, both haven shook off some fatigue. 'They probably have us surrounded and sent Flamedramon to make it easier for them to flush us out.' Takato reached into his pocket and started to draw out the Modify cards.   
  
"Davis!! Why didn't you wait for us?" The tamers blinked at Yolei's irritated tone. "Well...I only sent Flamedramon in to take a look. Besides, I never got a chance to see if he can take down that fox...." Soon Davis walked in with a few bumps on his head, thanks to Yolei. Takato was about to order Growlmon to create a smokescreen when the other Digidestined kids came into the area with their Digimon still in their rookie forms (except Gatomon of course).   
  
The tamers remained on their toes. Kari was the first to break the silence. "Calm down. We only want to talk. Isn't that right, Davis?" She put a little extra hint in her voice to drive the message into the boy's skull. He gave a sweatdrop. "Right...talk..." Kari continued. "You all seem reasonable. I'm sure you don't want to have any useless conflicts and fights with us as we don't want them with you."  
  
Henry and Takato relaxed a bit. "Well...just as long as you don't ask us about too many things." TK's gaze fell onto Rika. "What about her?" The two male tamers looked at Rika, expecting some sort of rebellious retort. "Rika?" But all she said was, "I will comply." Henry and Takato had to put a finger into their ears to make sure they weren't hearing things. "W-w-what?"  
  
"The Digidestined currently have no Digimon above champion level. They are not worth my time so I will not fight them." A small snarl came to Flamedramon's lips but he forced himself to cool down. Davis smiled nervously. "Okay, whatever. Now that we got that out of the way, we should introduce ourselves. I'm Dav-" "Davis, they already know who we are," stated Cody.   
  
"Oh yeah!! Them coming from the future and all..." "WHAT?!?!?" All three tamers and Digimon yelled in unison. "Izzy figured it out after he met you. We know that you come from the future. We won't ask too many questions so don't worry," said Yolei with a grin. Takato shot a nervous glance at Henry. "Yeah...thanks...I guess." Henry mouthed the words 'play along'.   
  
'That has got the be the most idiotic theory I've ever heard!!' "We-" Rika was cut off by Henry. "-are grateful that you intend to keep your questions to yourself." He slid over to her carefully to whisper something. "Don't tell them anything about where we really come from. Now with this time travel theory in the air, we have to be extra careful." Rika remained silent.   
  
"Looks like we'll have to finish up another time." Renamon stared coolly at Flamedramon. "Agreed. Remind me in the near future that I still owe you a fight." She walked by him, her tail nearly brushing his nostrils. "You can count on it." 'Definitely the foxy type.' He transformed back into Veemon.   
  
"This is very interesting. Normally, our Digimon just go back when they run out of energy. Even when Growlmon's wiped out, he still holds his champion form. We'll do what we can to get him back to rookie level. That way, it'll be easier to transport him through the digital gate into our world." TK and the other Digidestined had started to tackle the little problem with Growlmon. They didn't get very far because an explosion rocked the area and disabled most of the Digimon. Only Growlmon was in any relative shape to fight. Of course, Rika was still trying to get Renamon to battle.   
  
Terriermon groaned. "Where did that come from?" Henry's eyes found the assailant hovering in the air. TK narrowed his eyes. "That Digimon looks kind of familiar. I think that I saw him during the battle against Machinedramon some time ago. He was coming over to blast the area where me, Sora and Kari were hiding. I led them to safety while Angemon watched for Tai and Izzy." "You saved Kari's life, TJ?!?!" An annoyed look crossed over Kari's face. "For your information, Davis, we have other problems to worry about!! And his name's TK!!"  
  
Takato whipped out his Digivice and scanned the Digimon in the air. "Megadramon...he and Gigadramon were Machinedramon's official demolition squad!!" He looked above again. 'Megadramon is an expert at aerial combat so Hyperwings may not be enough...of course!!' Takato drew a Modify card. "Digi Modify!!! Dragon Wings Activate!!" {Original Japanese: Aero Wings. I called it Dragon Wings because Dragon Digimon get the power of 'fighting' plus the basic stuff which can be used for any Digimon: an attack increase of 100 points and 'sky'}  
  
Growlmon took off into the air. Megadramon fired a missile but Growlmon dodged. Renamon had to pull Rika out of the way and shield her from the explosion. Henry remained lost in his thoughts while a fierce aerial battle ensued overhead. 'How can this be happening? All Digimon that served the Dark Masters did not come back to live a normal life in the digital world. They were punished along with the Dark Masters by living in cyber oblivion for eternity. Unless...' He turned to Cody. "Did you see any control spires around this area?"  
  
"We saw a few right over there before we came in-" Cody didn't have time to finish his sentence. Henry had already run off to see the area. There was nothing. Cody and Armadillomon caught up to him and gasped. "Impossible!!! There were three control spires right there!! I saw them!!!!" "Maybe you're stressed out, Cody. Seeing things not there," said Armadillomon. Henry ran back to Takato. "It's a control spire Digimon!!"  
  
Simultaneous gasps of surprise escaped the lips of the other Digidestined and their respective Digimon. Takato narrowed his eyes. "Are you sure?" "Positive!! Things are going wacko!! Our arrival must have caused this new chain of events!!" Growlmon had tackled Megadramon to the ground. Sweat rolled off Takato's face. "Finish him off, Growlmon!!"  
  
"Okey dokey, Takatomon!!" Growlmon activated the plasma blades on his arms and went in for the kill. "Dragon Slash!!!" Megadramon instantly disappeared and all that was left was some data. Henry started to yell out his warning. "Don't absorb Megadramon's data!! We don't know what effect control spire Digimon data can do to our Digimon!!"  
  
It was too late. Growlmon had already initiated the download sequence. As soon as he was done, he started having trouble breathing. His skin started to change from red to black. "What's happening?!?" Henry gritted his teeth. "The control spire Digimon data must be corrupting Growlmon's digital pattern!! Not only will he change in colour, his power should increase...but it's reasonable to assume that his attitude will take a turn for the worse!!!!" He took a look around to see that the Digimon were still recovering from Megadramon's attack. "And our Digimon are in no shape to battle..." Growlmon clutched his head and screamed as the dark digital pattern started to establish itself in his body.  
  
  
Ah, the ancient art of cliffhangers. I would have liked to type more but I have to save some room for the next three installments closing the first configuration. I would suggest that Chaos Dukemon may not come until the second configuration or something so please don't kill me!!! If you want more, you know what to do!! 


	8. First Configuration, Section Eight

Author's Notes: Thanks to some interesting points raised by a certain somebody, I have some details to try and clear up. For those not interested, you may skip down below to the story.   
  
What I will admit: Some sentences in the story may not make sense grammatically. Regardless of how good the story looks in spelling and grammar, this is written by a guy who has a 76.4% average throughout five English courses. I also forgot to incorporate certain issues of survival that the tamers should have faced, such as shortage of food and water. I will try and touch upon the survival themes. And yes, I like Star Trek. What's wrong with using some themes from Star Trek in here?   
  
What I stand by: In most TV shows, not every single event is shown. Just the important ones. Heck, that's what they did in between two episodes: one ending with Blackwargreymon destroying the first destiny stone and the other opening with Yolei's trip. As for Rika...in her world, she fights any Digimon she can find. This is because there aren't any wild Digimon running around in her world. She can only battle the ones that bio-emerge. She won't fight Calumon, Guilmon or Terriermon because in her opinion, they are weaklings. Now that she's in the digital world, she has a wide selection of Digimon to track, battle, destroy and download. After all, downloading ultimate level Digimon is probably more worth while than champion level Digimon. Quality over quantity. And for why the tamers not telling that the Digidestined are only fictional characters, I'll write why Henry insists on playing along in a future installment. Besides, I'm saving that little problem for later so be patient. Also Henry knew that Growlmon was fighting a control spire Digimon because of how Megadramon came back when he was supposedly destroyed along with the Dark Masters. Even if Megadramon was actually reborn, why would he continue fighting like this? This is assuming he's not working for anybody. As for Arukenimon having access to the Digimon Analyzer of the Emperor...she is the puppet master after all. It's also reasonable to believe that she has access to data from Izzy's Digimon Analyzer. How else did she get the physical parameters for Blackwargreymon and Mammothmon?   
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 1.8  
  
"Growlmon!!!" The formerly red-skinned Digimon was breathing heavily. One part of him yearned to go berserk and destroy everything in his sight. Another part of him wanted to eat those tasty kids and Digimon right in front of him. They may be not much of a meal but they will have to do until he can find something bigger to satisfy his appetite. Of course, there is also a part of him representing the original Growlmon, who is trying not to go berserk or eat the kids. With this amount of internal chaos, he wasn't sure what to do first.   
  
TK gave a nervous gulp. "I remember that look. It was the look that almost every hungry Digimon gave us when we first came to the digital world." A guilty look came across Takato's face. 'Maybe I should have let Growlmon had something small to eat when we found that purple banana tree. But I thought that if I had Growlmon go hungry and run out of energy, he would have to go back to being Guilmon...it worked all the time in the TV show!'   
  
"Damn!! I'm not getting any readings on my Digivice!!! Hunk of junk!!" Takato heard Rika cursing. Then an idea struck him. 'Maybe if we find out his attributes, we can use them to our advantage and get Guilmon back!' He took out his own Digivice. After a few moments, it started to show some data. "Darkgrowlmon. A champion level, demonic dragon Digimon. Virus type. Possibility of going berserk is high." (AN: It was actually Black Growmon in Japanese but this sounded cooler. Also Takato's Digivice is more connected to Growlmon so it was able to pick up the new programming changes and display the new data)  
  
'We could try using Lillymon's flower wreath to calm Growlmon down, maybe eradicate the foreign data out of Growlmon's system. Just like the time she did it to Darktyrannomon!' Henry was about to fish out his cards but a thought stopped him from taking them out. 'Terriermon may not be able to handle it. He's been through a lot with that sneak attack by Megadramon.'   
  
"We can't fight dino boy directly. Looks like we'll have to be sneaky. A coward's victory." The thought of using cowardly tactics disgusted Rika. Renamon raised her head. "A victory is still a victory, regardless of the circumstances. It looks like that you have an idea." Rika looked sharply at the fox Digimon. "It may not work. The last time you handled an attack belonging to a mega Digimon, it backfired. Are you up for the challenge?" Renamon got up slowly, noticing the challenging look in her tamer's eyes.   
  
A blast came out and hit Darkgrowlmon in the left side. He whirled around to only see Calumon, Yolei, Hawkmon, Kari and Gatomon. His fury grew as he gave a loud roar. Yolei turned pale. "He's looking straight at us!!" Small bits of flame circled Darkgrowlmon's mouth. Cody looked on in alarm. "Kari!! Yolei!!! Get out of there!!"  
  
Henry looked at Terriermon, who looked a bit better. "Are you in any shape to help them?" The rabbit Digimon tried moving a little. "Yeah. Ignoring the fact that every time I move, my body aches, I feel fine and dandy!!" The boy took out some cards. "Okay. Get ready to run in front of the attack. I'll cover you when you get there. Digi Modify!! Hypersonic Activate!!"  
  
Terriermon dashed to where the girls were staring in horror at the possibility of being grilled. "Pyro Blaster!!" Henry waited until Terriermon was right in front. "Henry!!" "I'm on it, Terriermon!! Digi Modify!!! Wargreymon's Brave Shield Activate!!" The shield appeared in time, blocking the attack. Kari recognized the shape. "That looks like Wargreymon's shield!!" Terriermon struggled to hold on. "Now's your chance!! Move!!!!"  
  
"I gotta buy some time!! But how can I slow Growlmon down without hurting him?" Takato started looking through his cards but he dropped a pile. He bent down to pick them up when one card caught his eye. "Score!! Digi Modify!! Expansion Activate!!" Darkgrowlmon stopped firing and started to puff up like a balloon.   
  
'Good. Goggle head did something right for a change. When dino boy recovers, he'll be a bit disoriented.' Rika clutched her trump card in her hand. The effect wore off and Darkgrowlmon was in a dazed state. Renamon took this opportunity to get directly behind Darkgrowlmon. "Digi Modify!!! Apocalymon's Reverse Digivolve Activate!!"  
  
Renamon's arms formed into one of Apocalymon's claws. It clamped Darkgrowlmon and started forcing the excess digivolution data out of his system. He started to thrash wildly but Renamon held on. Soon, Guilmon appeared and the digivolution data along with the control spire data dissipated. Takato ran over to give his friend a big hug. Tears of joy were streaming down his cheeks. "I never thought I would see you again!!" Guilmon gave a smile. "Now can we eat, Takatomon?" Takato smiled happily. "We can pig out as soon as we find some food!"   
  
"I never thought that would work, Rika. How...?" She replaced the card into her pouch before replying to Henry's question. "Basically, Apocalymon's attacks are based on attacks from the Digimon that the Digidestined fought in the past, like the Dark Masters, Devimon and Myotismon. He had only three original attacks: Viral Grenade, Total Annihilation and Reverse Digivolve. You watch the TV show more than I do and yet you can't put the pieces together. Pathetic."  
  
"I reckon you can all use some energy drinks to recharge. Cody, I'll need you to armor-digivolve me into Submarimon. Then you can navigate through the ocean and keep an eye out for the underwater herbs. After that, we can make some energy drinks for everybody," stated Armadillomon. Cody smiled. "Sure thing, Armadillomon. We'll be right back." The two of them ran off. Takato raised an eyebrow. "Energy drinks? Since when did Armadillomon have an energy drink?"  
  
Davis brushed some dust off his jacket. "Veemon told me that there's a little extra something they get when they make a connection with their Digieggs. For example, Flamedramon has a special fighter's instinct while Raidramon has a charming personality that allows him to make friends easily. It may not be much but it sure comes in handy for big group attacks on the Emperor. I don't know what abilities the others have."  
  
Henry placed a tired Terriermon on his head. He moved over to TK. "I thought that our arrival would mess things up. How did you get the last two Digieggs?" TK turned to face Henry. "We still wanted to find the Digiegg of Sincerity, even after your friend destroyed Digitamamon. While we were looking, we talked about what you can do along with your other two companions. Yolei was saying that we shouldn't judge people from first impressions. She was trying to cut a bit more slack on people and Digimon alike, just like Mimi did. It didn't last long. After the Digiegg of Sincerity revealed itself in front of her, she tested it out. A little later, we find out that she's already judged them to be almost as bad as Ken. As for Cody getting the Digiegg of Reliability, it was this morning after we discovered you went to the digital world. We decided to split up and cover more ground. Cody took the body of water near sector 12. That's when he discovered the Digiegg. Megaseadramon was guarding the area so Cody had a few minor problems. And he had to face his fear. But Armadillomon was able to calm him down. Later, Cody was feeling upset that he went to get the Digiegg instead of helping us. Armadillomon convinced Cody to go for the Digiegg. So he got it, overcame his fear, met Submarimon and destroyed the spiral on Megaseadramon with a bit of help from local underwater Digimon."   
  
Moments later, Veemon, Hawkmon, Gatomon and Patamon were forcing down Armadillomon's energy drink. "I know it tastes horrible but you'll feel the effects in no time." Veemon looked over at Renamon. "Want some? It's lousy in taste but it works!!"  
  
Renamon paid no attention to him. Veemon frowned but continued anyway. "After all, you need it more than I do. You went into battle even when you were whipped!!" The fox Digimon still didn't reply. Veemon gave a grin. "Oh, one of those strong, silent types? They aren't exactly the most fun to be around. There's this interesting little story when..." A part of Renamon just snapped. "Alright!! I'll try some of that drink! Just be quiet!" Veemon shut up immediately and handed over his Styrofoam cup. (AN: Cody just went through the gate to grab a few Styrofoam cups from the art room. Nobody noticed, okay?!?)  
  
Guilmon's stomach was growling loudly as was Takato's. He gave a sheepish grin. "Can we go back to your world for some food now? Me and Guilmon had to skip breakfast." Kari gave a smile. "I'm sure we can fit a buffet meal into our schedule. It'll be a few hours before we meet up with the older kids." Takato's face fell. "M-m-meet the original Digidestined?"  
  
TK noticed the similar bewildered expression on Henry's face. "It's the anniversary when the original Digidestined defeated Venommyotismon. We're having a reunion. Since today's school activity day has been canceled, we're able to have a get-together. We also have a long weekend so the teachers can sort things out to start the new school year." (AN: In the episode, it was Thursday August 1. I'm not sure how the Japanese school calendar works so I'm using August as the start month and June as the final month with July representing the one month summer holiday. And I also created the long weekend so that the Digidestined are covered for the 'camping' trip) Henry shook off the look. "Oh, yeah...uh, I don't think we should come along. We'll probably be a third wheel in your reunion."   
  
At first, TK didn't understand it. Then it dawned on him. "I'm sure they can understand your situation. Izzy probably told them all about your travels back in time. Back in the old days, we had to destroy some Digimon in order to survive and stop evil as well. It's just that we've been getting used to freeing Digimon from dark influences, from Ken's Dark Rings and Dark Spirals to Devimon's Black Gears. We better get going if we don't want to be late."   
  
In the shadows, the shapes of two Digimon could barely be seen. "That was a cheesy trick!! A Reverse Digivolve attack?!?" Arukenimon ignored Mummymon's rantings. "Cheesy trick or not, they were able to neutralize the threat. Thanks to our little test, we know a bit more about those new kids. We need to find out about the transformation of the red Digimon. His alter ego has caught my interest."  
  
************  
  
Takato and Guilmon were both walking slowly behind Rika and Henry, after having just stuffed themselves. "Maybe we shouldn't have eaten too fast." Guilmon just groaned in agreement. Renamon stayed out of sight and kept an eye out for Calumon, who was hopping around playfully. Rika gave a cold look towards Takato. "Maybe the two of you shouldn't be allowed out in public. If you keep acting like immature brats, I will be forced to hurt you."   
  
"Terriermon, how are you feeling?" The rabbit Digimon raised his head lazily to answer Henry. "Considering the fact that an hour ago I was hit by an attack that had the power to wipe out a city block in the blink of an eye, I feel a lot better than I originally anticipated." A small smile came to Henry's face. "You're already using sarcasm. I didn't even have to teach it to you." Terriermon went back to resting on Henry's head. "I guess I'm a natural at it."  
  
Yolei kept punching in figures in her calculator. "Take in shipping costs, carry the five...good!! The store will still be able to make a profit even with Takato and Guilmon's feeding frenzy. I'll just have to slow down with the snacks until things kind of get back to normal." As soon as she said that, the Digimon belonging to the Digidestined shot poisonous glares at the tamer and his Digimon.   
  
"Yo, TM. I heard there were some weird things going on at your dad's TV station," stated Davis. TK pretended to ignore the TM part. "Yeah. We're thinking of investigating the matter after we pay a tribute to Wizardmon." Before Davis could ask who is Wizardmon, they heard some familiar voices. "TK!! Kari!! Over here!!" Right by the top of the hill stood Tai, Izzy, Sora, Mimi, Matt and Joe.   
  
Davis, Yolei and Cody held on to their in-training Digimon partners as they started running up to meet the older kids. TK and Kari were about to go too but they noticed that the tamers stood back. TK smiled. "I'm sure the three of you will get along with the others. Come on!!" He went behind Henry and Takato and started to push them further along. "This is a waste of my time," muttered Rika as she followed Kari to meet the older Digidestined.  
  
Man, that's a huge installment. I want to end this with a modified quote from the new show, Enterprise. "I don't want every word I say to be picked apart the next day." For those who search the story for plot holes and stuff...chill out!! It's just a story!! Usually I come back to a detail in another story so be patient. If there are important things that I forgot about (i.e. I say something important and don't mention it for four chapters), let me know and I will rectify the situation. If you want the address for the Digimon Encyclopedia, read one of my older chapters. It's in there somewhere (I think it's V 1.5). Also, the Expansion card Takato used worked since Growlmon is still connected to the Digivice. There will be a small segment in the next installment concerning Digivices. Anyway, review if you want more. 


	9. First Configuration, Section Nine

Author's Notes: In this installment, I'm planning to use the Digiegg of Fate for Terriermon to armor-digivolve into Rapidmon's armor form. If you're not sure about this, check under Rapidmon in the Digimon Encyclopedia. It follows up after the normal ultimate level Rapidmon cards. This one's a whopper installment so enjoy!!!  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 1.9  
  
Tai narrowed his eyes as Henry, Takato and Rika made their way to the top of the hill. "So you three are the new kids that Izzy's been talking about." Takato winced slightly. 'Great!! Tai is giving us one of those stern tones!!!' The older boy noticed the tense look "I'm guessing that you're thinking we're mad at you because you destroyed Digitamamon when he could have been saved by destroying the dark spiral."  
  
Henry cleared his throat. "We can explain. Our friend..." Rika raised an eyebrow. "...acted totally on instinct. Where we come from, the Digimon we encounter are nasty to say the least, except Terriermon, Renamon, Guilmon and Calumon. The three of us alone are responsible for defending our world against renegade Digimon and we have to do whatever is necessary to accomplish our goal." Matt gave a smile. "In a way, we've been through that same road. We had to defend our world against evil Digimon like Myotismon and the Dark Masters. I guess the idea of freeing a Digimon from a dark influence never came across your minds." The three tamers remained quiet.  
  
"We've met for only a few minutes and we didn't even introduce ourselves properly! I've learned that little lesson in manners from Cody. Anyways, I'm Joe..." "We know who you are already. It would be a waste of everyone's time to go through with useless introductions," said Rika sharply.   
  
"Since we know your names, it would be only fair if you know ours. I'm-" Henry placed a hand on Takato's shoulder. "I think it would be wise to say nothing. Don't you remember what I told you?" Terriermon piped up. "It's only a name, Henry!! Momentai!!" Henry released Takato's shoulder. "Yeah!! It's not like telling our names would be contaminating the timeline or anything," said Takato in a light-hearted tone.  
  
"I guess so..." Takato grinned before turning back to the Digidestined. "I'm Takato and this is my Digimon partner, Guilmon!" The red Digimon waved. "Hi!!" Sora noticed Takato's headgear. "You must be the leader of the group." The boy's face fell. "Huh? Oh, you think that I'm the leader because of the goggles!! To be honest, there really isn't anyone in charge."  
  
"I'll take goggle head's orders when hell freezes over," muttered Rika. Takato's ears perked up at her comment. "That's Rika, the icy warrior of our little group. Renamon is her partner. She's not around unless Rika calls her." Just as he finished that sentence, Renamon stepped out, with Calumon bouncing around. "What are you doing here, Renamon? I didn't call you." The fox Digimon held Calumon by his collar. "I want someone else to babysit Calumon so I can meditate in peace." Terriermon smiled. "I'll play with him!!" Renamon released Calumon and disappeared immediately.  
  
"Last but not least, the brains of the group, Henry! Terriermon is his partner. He's the Digimon playing with Calumon right now." Demiveemon hopped off Davis to join the fun as well as Upamon and Poromon. Tai gave a curious look at the energetic Digimon. "Who is Calumon's partner?" Takato shrugged. "Just before coming here, me and Henry were searching the city to find a suitable partner for Calumon. We had no luck though."  
  
"So what are we going to do today? Hanging around here's fine but it'll get boring after a few hours," remarked Davis. "I'm up for finding a way to go back to our world. We should be there to fight any wild Digimon," stated Henry. Izzy stroked his chin. "Maybe if you tell us how you got here in the first place..." Takato started to talk away.  
  
'Finally. Some peace and quiet.' "Uh...Rika?" Right behind her was Mimi. "I...I would like to apologize for overreacting back in the digital world." Rika's eyes snapped open. She turned to face the other girl. "Why are you apologizing? You said that I killed a Digimon."  
  
"I didn't really know your history with the digital world. I was wondering...would you still destroy Digitamamon if you knew there was a dark spiral controlling his actions?" Rika thought about it. The answer that popped up said yes. But the small bit of conscience in side her mind asked her, would you destroy Renamon if she was under the influence? "Maybe, maybe not. If he was endangering the lives of others and there was little time before he inflicts serious damage, yes. But I suppose that I would attempt to disable the spiral first."  
  
Mimi gave a bright smile. "Regardless of all that fighting you had to do back in the future, you would try to save any lives that are being controlled against their will. That is what defines a person with a good heart." Rika rolled her eyes. Mimi continued to speak. "I'm serious. I know that you have a good heart. Renamon probably thinks that you have a good heart as well." Rika narrowed her eyes. "And why do you think Renamon feels that way?" The other girl gave one of those know-it-all smiles. "Intuition."  
  
"Hey, Henry. Since Takato officially named you the brains of the group, I was hoping that you would be able to shed some light on what happened today," stated TK. Henry blinked in surprise. "Excuse me?" "Well, Takato's Digivice couldn't filter out the dark data out of Growlmon. Our Digivices normally filter out darkness. Like on File Island, with Devimon controlling Leomon and the black gears. There's also the case when the light from Kari's Digivice destroyed Andromon's dark ring. If you are supposed to be Digidestined, shouldn't your Digivices follow that same format?" Takato had finished telling his story and now the entire group, except for Mimi and Rika, was waiting for Henry's answer.   
  
"I don't think you should be asking that question, TK." Matt stepped up behind TK. "We need to have some answers. You don't have to go into detail about the future but TK's question is important. There is the possibility that you could be deceiving us." Henry sighed, knowing that he was backed into a corner.   
  
"There's a difference between a Digidestined Digivice and a tamer Digivice." Stunned looks immediately followed Henry's response. "A...tamer?" He nodded. "Where we come from, there are no Digidestined. Only those who can look beneath the surface of the cards can become Digimon tamers."  
  
"Digimon tamers...?" The group was about to ask more questions when Izzy waved his arms. "I know that there are a lot of things we want to know but we have to keep our questions to ourselves. Temporal prime directive, remember?" The others grumbled in agreement.  
  
Takato went up to Henry. "Well, I suppose we can tell them a few little things to help save time. I mean, they will eventually find out these little things today." Henry remained silent for a while. "It won't really hurt the timeline so I guess it's acceptable." Takato clenched his fists and silently went 'yes!' "Okay...where to start? Izzy, your theory about the D3s is correct. They have the power to open up the digital gateway from any computer." Izzy brightened up. "Prodigious!! It looks like I won't have to use Davis as a guinea pig." Davis raised an eyebrow.   
  
"About the TV station, the ghost of an old friend will come back from the grave to give you a riddle. Once deciphered, you will know what to do concerning the Digimon Emperor." Gatomon's eyes widened. "Could it be...Wizardmon?" She dashed off towards the TV station. "Wait up!!" Patamon flew after her with Kari running behind him. Mimi noticed the commotion. "Looks like they're going somewhere. We better catch up to them!" Rika just muttered a 'whatever' under her breath.   
  
"Hey, where are you guys going?" Davis scooped up Demiveemon in his arms. "Gatomon's kind of freaking me out. All Takato said was...some sort of riddle and she went nuts." Upamon and Poromon were picked up by Cody and Yolei. Terriermon leapt on Henry's head while Calumon rode on Guilmon's head as he jogged beside Takato.  
  
"Man, Gatomon put the pieces of the puzzle together fast!!" Henry jogged slowly as not to bounce Terriermon off his head. "Wizardmon was her best friend. Possibly more. His sacrifice at the TV station has been seared into her memory permanently. When she heard the words 'old friend' come out of your mouth when you spoke about the ghost haunting the station, it just snapped together." He stopped jogging.  
  
Guilmon ran right into Henry. "Ow...why did you stop?" Henry kept his gaze on the Digidestined as they went through the front doors. "This is a special moment for them. We would only be extra weight. We should wait here...figure out some things as to how to preserve the storyline and get back home." Mimi ran past them while Rika just hung back.   
  
"Is preserving the storyline all you can think about, Einstein?" asked Rika coldly. "If it gets altered, the consequences could be disastrous in our world. I don't know how disastrous but there will be repercussions if we mess up things here," said Henry in a dark tone. "You're insane!! You're talking about protecting the future of characters that don't even exist!!!" yelled the female tamer.  
  
"At first, we thought Digimon don't exist. But we've seen them come to life. Isn't it reasonable to assume that the Digidestined exist as well? Just because they're fictional characters in our world doesn't mean they can't exist!! There's probably some world out there where we're nothing but fictional characters!!!" Takato jumped in between the arguing duo. "Whoa, whoa!! Chill out for a second. Henry, we're real people. I can feel my pulse running. I exist!!"  
  
"And in this world, the Digidestined exist as well. I'm not about to tell them that where we come from, they only exist as characters of fiction. If they find out, then all their hopes and dreams of a good future will vanish...and Malomyotismon will have no trouble claiming victory," stated Henry. Rika gave an icy glare. "What are you talking about, Einstein?"  
  
Henry paused for a moment. "In the season finale, the combined hopes and dreams of the original Digidestined as well as Digidestined around the world destroyed Malomyotismon's physical form and created the weapon that Imperialdramon used to finish the job. By knowing the fact that they're fictional characters in our world, they will be mentally affected. Whether it is confidence in the fact that they can't die as well as their partner Digimon since they are the protagonists or depression from knowing that their accomplishments, victories and achievements are make-believe events in our world...whatever way it goes, their perspective of life will change itself. They will be shocked by the fact that the decisions they make and the important events in their lives concerning the digital world is only entertainment to us. In simple terms, they will start believing that whatever they do, it will be for nothing."  
  
************  
  
"In local news, three children have disappeared without a trace just a few days ago. Police officials have been searching high and low for the whereabouts of Rika Nonaka, Henry Wong and Takato Matsuki. However, no luck-" The TV was turned off. "Sir..." Yamaki turned his head towards Riley. "Is it possible that those kids were caught in...?"  
  
"I don't know. But children should know better than to play with dangerous toys." Riley's conscience did not buy that explanation. "What if Yuggoth's interference with that anomalous reading was the cause? The children disappeared around the same time as Yuggoth vanished."  
  
"You should know by now that in order to achieve our goal we would have to pay some sort of price. Casualties and sacrifices are a part of the road to eradicate those beings that have been bio-emerging lately." Before Yamaki could continue, the other operative picked up a reading. "There's another strange reading, sir!"   
  
"Activate Yuggoth. So far, it has proved to be most efficient with dealing with our problem. Keep an eye out for any further readings. I have some business to take care of." He left the room, reading a status report on the program code named "Juggernaut".  
  
************  
  
"Aw, man!! Why couldn't we bring marshmallows?" The Digidestined were wrapping up preparations for their long weekend in the digital world. TK sighed. "Davis, we're not going camping. It's just a legitimate excuse so that we can focus on defeating the Digimon Emperor without having to worry about returning home on time." Takato, Rika and Henry were given their own supplies (sleeping bag, camping gear, etc.) from the older kids. Henry placed a flashlight in his bag. "I still don't see why we should be going too. This is their fight, not ours."  
  
"Well, there is always a chance that something could go wrong. Besides, we have to make sure that tweedle dee and tweedle dum don't create any more problems," said Takato as he grabbed the bag of cookies before Guilmon could bite into them. Renamon just waited patiently beside Rika. Calumon and Terriermon were playing tag. Upamon was bouncing around Cody while Demiveemon and Poromon were making guesses as to Yolei's strange behaviour.   
  
"Is everybody ready?" A simultaneous 'yes' followed Yolei's question. "Then let the final battle begin!! Digiport open!!!!" Izzy unplugged his laptop after they all disappeared. Tai stepped into the room. "Yo, hurry up!! We haven't got all day!!" Izzy grabbed the rest of his stuff and followed the other boy out.   
  
[Insert Digiport sequence, music, all that stuff]  
  
"Alright, troops!! I'm going to scout the area!! If I see anything unusual, I'll report back immediately!!" Yolei slung the rope over her shoulder but before she could go, Tentomon bumped into her. "Don't worry about it, Yolei. Tentomon probably knows the area already," stated Kari.  
  
"Okay, what did you see? Spill out some answers or I'll get them out of you myself!!!" Yolei grabbed Tentomon and start shaking him. Hawkmon flew over in alarm. "Stop acting like this!! Please let him go, Yolei. He has nothing to hide." She let him go and stomped off towards the edge of the cliff. Hawkmon started bowing repeatedly in front of Tentomon. "I must apologize for my friend's enthusiasm. Normally, she doesn't act like this." Tentomon recovered from the dizziness. "She should save that enthusiasm for the Digimon Emperor!!"  
  
"If you don't stop acting like this, someone could get hurt," said Takato. Yolei turned her fiery gaze on the boy. "The only people that are going to get hurt are those who stand in front of me and victory!!" As she turned back to the task at hand, Henry came up behind Takato. "Let her learn her lesson herself." Takato sighed before noticing that Guilmon was trying to get the cookies again.  
  
In the distance, Arukenimon and Mummymon stood in front of a small clump of control spires. Five to be exact. "What exactly do you plan to do, darling?" She pulled out five small bits of white hair. "Eradicate those new kids before they cause some serious trouble. And if you call me darling again, I will personally bury you in an underground tomb." Mummymon gave a nervous gulp. "Eep!!" "Spirit Needle!"  
  
"Oh, no!! Hawkmon!!" Hawkmon had just taken the full effect of Dokugumon's attack. Davis grabbed his Digivice. "Digi Armor Energize!!!" "Veemon armor-digivolved to...Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!!" He dived in to fight Dokugumon. Rika looked at the spider Digimon. She was about to call Renamon to join the fight when Henry came up. "Don't interfere with the battle, Rika," stated Henry sternly.   
  
'Damn.' Takato went up to his fellow tamers with a ripped cookie bag in his hand. "Uh...we're out of cookies. I'm so sorry!! I tried to stop Guilmon!" Henry gave Takato a small smile. "Don't worry about it. It's just cookies." The boy gulped. "Yeah...I shouldn't be worrying about cookies when a huge dragon Digimon is closing in on our position."  
  
The two other tamers looked at the sky in alarm. They saw a huge flying Digimon heading their way. Henry gritted his teeth. "Gigadramon, Megadramon's stronger counterpart." Gigadramon launched his missiles. The explosion threw back the tamers.   
  
Takato landed on a stuffed Guilmon while Terriermon and Calumon tried to stop a knocked out Henry from rolling into Dokugumon's canyon. He jumped off Guilmon and grabbed Henry's shirt collar before he went over. Renamon dashed over to catch Rika and they both landed inside the canyon. Rika got down from her partner's grip. "Einstein's out. This means this Digimon's ours!! Let's do this!!"   
  
As soon as those words came out of Rika's mouth, Renamon had already engaged the enemy. She jumped and grabbed a hold of Gigadramon's tail just as he swooped over the group. With a toss, she was thrown down onto the ground. Davis could only stare in awe. The others were too busy trying to get Yolei and Hawkmon up. "Whoa, that's a huge Digimon!! And Renamon's trying to take it down herself!!" He noticed that Flamedramon had already destroyed the dark ring on Dokugumon and was still in the canyon.  
  
Gigadramon circled around and started to charge at Renamon. She quickly ran up, jumped on to a slanted side of a rock and used her momentum to get higher into the air. The big dragon Digimon was moving in head on. "Diamond Storm!!" The attack had no effect and Gigadramon plowed through.   
  
"Renamon's in trouble!! Flamedramon, go in and help her!!" Flamedramon didn't move. Davis looked at his partner in surprise. "What are you waiting for? The perfect time to save her and play hero? Give her a hand!!" Flamedramon kept his gaze on the fight. "I'm not going to help her. This is her fight. I'm not going to interfere unless she asks me. To do so without her permission would be dishonorable."  
  
"Take a good look, Flamedramon! I'm pretty sure that big Digimon is stronger than Renamon!! And it can fly while Renamon's grounded!! Plus the fact that she's taking a beating!! If you team up with her, maybe you can take down that other Digimon!!" Flamedramon still didn't move. "Although her opponent has an advantage, she could easily compensate for it. She can adapt her strategy and claim victory. Renamon's going to pull through." Davis still couldn't believe that Flamedramon would refuse to help a fellow warrior. Then it started to make sense in a crazy way. "Wait a minute. Is it...?" A smirk came to Flamedramon's lips. "Fighter's Instinct, Davis."   
  
'I gotta level the playing field. But how...?' Rika searched through her cards but she didn't find one that could give Renamon the ability to fly. "Goggle head, I need to borrow the Hyperwing card!!" Takato had to catch his breath from pulling up Henry. He took the card out and tossed it to Rika. "Digi Modify!! Hyperwing Activate!!"  
  
Renamon took off into the air, just dodging Gigadramon's attack. Although he got a few good hits, she was still hanging on. Gigadramon started to fly up but he turned away and started diving towards Rika, remembering that his primary objective is to dispose of the tamers. "Rika!!" Even though her life was in danger, Rika forced herself to remain calm as she dug out a card. "Digi Modify!! Flamedramon's Fire Rocket Activate!!" Renamon burst into flame. "Fire Rocket!!!"   
  
Davis gawked in surprise. "Hey...isn't that your move?" Flamedramon supressed the urge to drop his jaw in pure shock. "Yeah...the more amazing part is how Renamon has increased the effectiveness of the attack. Her physical parameters have completely neutralized the air resistance, allowing more speed when she charges...impressive."  
  
Gigadramon loaded up a missile in his hand when Renamon crashed into him. He lost some of his balance and started toppling over on the right side. The attack had caused him to lose concentration and he released the missile right into Renamon. He was only a small distance from the ground. "Renamon, no!!!" She was tossed back two hundred meters. Gigadramon regained control and stared directly at the one who disrupted his mission. He started flying towards her at the same altitude and armed a missile.  
  
"Renamon's in trouble! I need to buy a bit of time in order for her to recover from those missiles!!" Rika noticed that there was a rather large branch from the initial missile attack near the forest. She picked it up and quickly jabbed it in Gigadramon's lower body as he flew over her. The irritation caused Gigadramon to whip his tail and hit Rika. She went flying into another part of the canyon, not too far from Renamon. Gigadramon noticed that he hit something. Once he saw the tamer, he fired his missile. Rika wasn't in the best condition to dodge to say the least. 'What a way to go. At least, Renamon's out of danger...' Her Digivice started glowing as did the mark on Calumon's head.  
  
DIGIVOLUTION...   
  
A glow started coming from Renamon. Rika noticed the glow. 'What? Is Renamon finally digivolving? But how did it happen? Is it because of me concerned with getting Renamon out of danger?'  
  
"Renamon digivolved to...Kyubimon!!!"  
  
Kyubimon had little time before the missile collided. "Dragon Wheel!!" The energy wheel spun towards the missile and created an explosion. The smoke blinded everybody in the area. By the time the smoke cleared, Kyubimon had Rika on her back. "Got a plan, Rika?" Rika pulled out a card. "Up for using a mega Digimon attack?"   
  
Gigadramon started to charge towards them. Kyubimon started to charge as well. Rika prepared to swipe the card through her Digivice. She waited until Gigadramon started to fire his missile. "Digi Modify!! Metalgarurumon's Metal Wolf Claw Activate!!!" Kyubimon fired the attack immediately. "Metal Wolf Claw!!!" The energy blast stopped the missile and incinerated Gigadramon.  
  
Rika got off Kyubimon. "You finally digivolved." The fox Digimon nodded slowly. "It was because of you and your good heart." 'I guess Mimi was right. I do have a good heart after all. And the way Kyubimon just fought to save my life. There is no way that she can be just data. Now I know that she's more than that. I wonder if all Digimon act like that when someone close is in danger.'  
  
"Rika!! Are you alright?" Takato had to yell his question. "I'm fine, goggle head!! And thanks for lending me the card!!!" Takato's jaw dropped. The Digimon Queen thanking him? 'I don't know what happened. But I definitely like the new Rika!!' Henry woke up with a small moan. Calumon grinned. "You just missed all the fun!"  
  
"That was some fight!! You should have seen it, guys!!" Cody gave an annoyed glare. "Well, Davis, we all decided that saving Yolei and Hawkmon was more important than watching Gigadramon and Renamon duke it out." Davis gave a sheepish grin. "Sorry." "The more interesting question is how someone was able to digivolve in the heart of Digimon Emperor territory," stated TK. Kari shrugged. "They probably found a way to bypass those types of things. We shouldn't ask them for specific details. Besides, we have other things to deal with."  
  
"I'm so sorry, Hawkmon!! If I hadn't been so rash-" Hawkmon interrupted Yolei's sobbing. "You don't have to cry over it. I'll be up and about in a few hours with the medicine from your first aid kit." "You know, Takato gave me a warning about this!! But did I listen? Noooooo!!"  
  
"Well, now that you know you have a good heart, can we be friends now?" Rika hesitated before answering Takato. "All I will say is that my tolerance for all of you has increased." Takato gave a small groan while Henry grinned. "That's as much as we're going to get for the time being. Don't worry about it." The other boy smiled. "You're right. At least we got the Digimon Queen to be a little more social." Rika's eyes narrowed. "Shut up, goggle head."  
  
"So you're saying that Gigadramon was created by the Emperor?" The group had started walking towards a more secure camp ground. Henry nodded. "Think about it. Megadramon had been created by a few control spires. He attacked without even thinking about it. The same thing happened with Gigadramon. It's a distinct possibility that the Emperor has found other ways to use his control spires."  
  
"We have to stop him before he refines his technique!! I'm sure that you know where his base is," said Cody. Takato scratched his head. "It's not that simple. It never stays in one location. The main fact is that it can move anywhere, from the air to underwater-" Henry had clamped a hand on Takato's shoulder. "That's enough. We can't reveal too much about what's about to happen."  
  
Not too far away, Arukenimon and Mummymon had just overheard Henry's warning. 'Apparently those children can predict the future,' thought Arukenimon. Mummymon was in a state of nervous shock. "They know about what's going to happen? Maybe they're on to us!! Our whole plan's going to fail if they blab out everything!! What do we do?!?" "We stay calm and change our plan. It's as simple as that."  
  
************  
  
"I wish I had some microwave dinners," groaned Mr. Ishida as he made another pitiful attempt to catch some fish. Matt, Tai and Izzy were crowded around the computer and reading an e-mail from Cody. "Let's see here...whoa!! It looks like that Ken can create Digimon out of his control spires!"  
  
"No way!! That's total craziness!! What else did they say?" Izzy made a face. "Tai, what have you been eating?" Tai looked at Izzy strangely. "The last thing I ate was my mom's tofu surprise." Matt waved his hand and started fanning himself. "Rinse your mouth, man! You stink!!!"  
  
"We can lecture Tai on the importance of good dental hygiene later..." A new message popped up. "The kids have located the Emperor's base. Apparently, it's flying towards a new area. There's a Digimon right in front of the base clearing the way with some sort of attack. Takato's Digivice is telling us that Digimon is Kimeramon, an ultimate level synthetic Digimon. Data type."  
  
"An ultimate level?! I don't know if they have the firepower to take down an ultimate level Digimon!!" Izzy gave a small smile. "Don't worry about it, Matt. Davis and the others can handle it. And if they run into some tough times, the tamers will have to step in. After all, this is probably a key battle in the evolution of their world." Tai still had a worried look on his face as did Matt. The only noises made for several moments were the typing on Izzy's computer, the noises of the wildlife outside and Mr. Ishida cursing his luck at fishing.  
  
************  
  
"Do you remember all of that, Guilmon?" The red virus Digimon nodded. Takato swiped a card through his Digivice. "Digi Modify!! Hyperwing Activate!!" Guilmon grew the wings and flew down to the ground to find the specific target. After finding it, he turned the wheel and let out a large burst of oil. As soon as Kimeramon passed, Guilmon let a Pyro Sphere loose. A large flame started to coat the base and slow it down. Guilmon reactivated his wings and flew back. "Did I do okay, Takatomon?"  
  
Takato smiled. "Good job, buddy. You guys better hurry up!!" Davis leapt down with Raidramon to the side entrance. Pegasusmon, Halsemon and Nefertimon and Digmon also came down as well with their respective partners. "We better get going. Henry?" The boy still didn't make a move. Rika rolled her eyes. "You say that we should make sure that those two morons, Arukenimon and Mummymon, don't screw things up. And now you say we should not get involved in their fight?!?"   
  
"Uh...you know what I mean by..." Henry didn't have time to finish as Calumon started to try to jump the long distance. "Hey, don't start the party without me!!" He landed on the edge of the platform and disappeared. The three tamers simultaneously groaned. "I swear we have to get some handcuffs and chain him to someone," muttered Rika. They all followed the little Digimon and the Digidestined into the caverns of the Emperor's base.   
  
When the tamers and Calumon arrived, the Digidestined had just finished beating up some Bakemon. Yolei clenched her fist. "Perfecto!!" All of a sudden the walls started to rumble and Kimeramon entered the room. Takato, Guilmon, Terriermon and Henry ran off to hide somewhere. Rika didn't move for a moment. "Let them handle this, Rika!!" hissed Henry. She gave a disgruntled look before hiding herself. Renamon stayed out of sight.  
  
Several Heat Vipers later, all the Digimon were in their in-training forms with the exception of Patamon and Gatomon. Kimeramon started to advance on them when it suddenly stopped. Henry gave a small smile. "So far, so good." The events had been going as planned. What he didn't know was that the Emperor had spotted them just before they hid and ordered a surprise attack. "Heat Viper!!"  
  
The tamers were thrown back. "Takato!! Rika!! Henry!!" They shook off the shock from being discovered. Takato turned to the Digidestined. "We'll hold Kimeramon for a while. Get to the power source!! You'll know what to do when you get there!!" Davis nodded as he took off with Demiveemon on his head. The other Digidestined started to follow him.   
  
A small glow started to shine within each tamer's card pile. They all grabbed the glowing card and it turned out to be the Digivolution Plug In card. Calumon's mark started to glow red as well. "I guess they must be reacting to our immediate situation!!" Rika gave a scowl. "Stop analyzing the situation already, Einstein!!"  
  
"Digi Modify!!! Digivolution Activate!!"  
  
DIGIVOLUTION...  
  
"Guilmon digivolved to...Growlmon!!"  
"Terriermon digivolved to...Gargomon!!!"  
"Renamon digivolved to...Kyubimon!!"  
  
"What?!?" The Digimon Emperor clutched his black Digivice. "My dark Digivice is having no effect!!" He kept his gaze on the monitor of the battle. He didn't even notice that Wormmon has slipped out of the room. "No matter. Kimeramon will finish them off!!" Before he could give one of those super villain laughs, a voice started talking in his head. "You shouldn't be playing with the forces of darkness..." The Emperor clutched his head. "Not you again!! Get out of my head!!!"  
  
"Fox Tail Inferno!!" Kyubimon sent nine blue fireballs into Kimeramon's face. It didn't do much damage considering he had Kabuterimon's helmet. "Gargo Laser!!" Gargomon shot out several small energy beams from his machine gun hands. "Pyro Blaster!!" Growlmon's attack was waved aside by one of Kimeramon's arms. "Heat Viper!!"  
  
The tamers each took out a card and prepared to slide it through their Digivices. "Digi Modify!! Speed Activate!!" All three Digimon started to run all over the place. Kimeramon had a diffficult time trying to get a good shot. He finally gave up and flew into the air to fire a huge Heat Viper. But before he was about to prepare the shot, the lights went out. Henry grinned. "Mission accomplished!!" Kimeramon immediately created a huge hole to get to the power chamber. "Where's Frankenmon going?" A golden light came out from the hole. "That answer your question, Rika?"   
  
Davis held the Digiegg of Miracles in his hands. "Golden Armor Energize!!" Veemon became surrounded by the light. "Veemon golden armor-digivolved to...Magnamon!!!" "What's this?!?" Davis gave an angry glare at the Emperor. "Magnamon is going to be the one who takes you down!!" Just as the Digimon Emperor and Davis were exchanging more insults, Kimeramon burst out from below and charged at Magnamon.   
  
The tamers came out from the hole, with Takato, Rika, Henry, Calumon, Terriermon and Renamon riding on Growlmon's back. "Hey, check out Magnamon!!" exclaimed Takato. The group got off from Growlmon's back and he transformed back to Guilmon before landing on the catwalk. "I'm tired, Takatomon..."   
  
"Are you guys alright?" Henry gave a smile. "Don't worry about us, Cody. Just stay focused on Kimeramon." More explosions rocked the area. An alarm started ringing through the base. "If this base is going down, you're going down with it!! Goodbye, Digifools!!" The Emperor laughed as he ran off.  
  
"Rika, you and the other Digidestined kids should go down to the dungeon and free the Digimon down there," said Henry in a 'no arguing' tone. "Whatever. What about goggle head and his twin brother?" Davis was cheering on Magnamon as he dodged several of Kimeramon's Heat Vipers. Takato brushed off some of the explosion dust off his sleeve. "Henry and I have to keep an eye out for any additional trouble here. You should do the same for the other kids."  
  
"Mm-hmm. Let's go, Renamon." The two started to follow the Digidestined kids to the dungeon. Takato turned back to the battle just in time to see Magnamon take a punch from Kimeramon. "No, no!! Give him the old one-two!!" Magnamon shook off the hit. "Who's doing the fighting here, Davis?!?"  
  
Takato turned to Henry. "Shouldn't we give a hand or something?" Henry shook his head. "This is Magnamon's fight. He should be strong enough to take down Kimeramon. Remember at the end how Wormmon gave that energy boost to help finish the fight?" Davis kept on yelling encouragement phrases, oblivious to what the two tamers behind him said. Takato looked around. "Where did Wormmon go?" Terriermon pointed a small finger at the small window which the Emperor previously occupied. "I think I saw him climbing up to get to there."   
  
"Aren't you just the little bit worried that things are going to screw up at the end?" The other boy shook his head again. "It's destiny. And destiny cannot be denied." That line of reasoning wasn't good enough to convince Takato. "What about when the Digidestined interfered with the Emperor's plans to take over the digital world, Henry? What if the Emperor's destiny was to control the digital world? That changed."  
  
"I know you want to help but Magnamon's doing just fine." Takato stared at the battle scene. "Oh, really? Take a look for yourself." Henry turned his gaze to see Kimeramon beating the living snot out of Magnamon. "He's an armored Digimon. He'll be able to pull through this battle with his armor softening Kimeramon's blows."  
  
Takato's frustration grew even more. "Henry, what are you afraid of?! You say we have to preserve the timeline but you also say that we can't interfere with the battles of the Digidestined!! You're not making sense!!" Terriermon hopped off Henry's head. "He does have a point. You're not making sense."  
  
"It's as simple as this. We preserve the timeline by stopping anything that doesn't fit into current events. We let the Digidestined fight their own battles, they get the same victories and life goes on, both in their world and in ours," said Henry. Takato calmly started to state his argument. "The problem is that they won't get the same victories. When we came here, we set things way off course. We messed up when we stopped Yolei from obtaining the Digiegg of Sincerity. We led the Digidestined on a wild goose chase. While on the way, things could have changed to make our world a little bit more messed. I say if we're going to change things, we might as well make good changes rather than bad ones."  
  
The boy remained silent as he took in these new facts. "But fate will prevail in the end. It always did..." Terriermon put his tiny hands on his hips. "Well, as I see it, fate will prevail only if we help steer it in the right direction. Kind of like one of those...things your dad drives. He has to make changes in order to get where he wants. Now we have to do the same. And personally, I think that makes sense."  
  
Henry smiled. "You're right. The both of you. There are battles we have to fight in order to steer the future where we want it. The Digidestined will have no idea where the future may lead. I say we watch the roadmap and help them steer while they drive towards their fate and possibly ours as well." A card in his pocket started to glow.   
  
The other Digidestined ran inside the room. Yolei gave a status report. "All the Digimon are out! Rika's checking for any other prisoners. We came back to get you out of here...what's that glow?" Henry took out the card. "It's the...Digiegg of Fate." A simultaneous 'what?' came out from TK, Kari, Davis, Yolei and Cody. Takato grinned. "It could be a sign!! Slide it through your Digivice!!"  
  
"Okay, Takato. Digi Modify!! Digiegg of Fate Activate!!" The card in his hand started to transform itself into the Digiegg of Fate. Henry lowered his arm gently and held the Digiegg. Takato was shaking with excitement. "Now say the magic words. You know..." The boy snapped out of his shocked state. "Right. Digi Armor Energize!!!" "This feels funny," said Calumon as his mark glowed red.  
  
ARMOR DIGIVOLUTION....   
  
"Terriermon armor-digivolved to...Rapidmon, Holy Knight of Fate!!" Rapidmon had yellow armor with red streaks covering the ends of his arms and his ears. The icon of Fate appeared on the bottom torso. He leapt off the catwalk and attacked. "Rapid Fire!!" The missiles caused Kimeramon to back away from Magnamon. Rapidmon hovered close by. "You up for a double team?" Magnamon gave a chuckle. "Let's do this!!" They both got into a defensive position as Kimeramon prepared to attack.  
  
************  
  
The Emperor kept climbing the long flight of stairs. In a few moments, the base would collapse. Too bad he couldn't activate the self-destruct device but unfortunately, he had to drain power from it in order to complete Kimeramon. No matter. Kimeramon is a walking, talking weapon that will take care of everything for him. "Going somewhere, little boy emperor?" The Emperor stopped in his tracks to see a figure walking towards him. "You!!!! Y-you're one of them!!!!" he stammered as he stared into the icy, violet eyes of the Digimon Queen herself, Rika Nonaka.  
  
  
I'm done!!!!!! At least this installment. I hope I don't have to keep writing installments this long. They're killer stuff. Before I sign off, I got a surprise for you. The Saga of the Devas has been one of the best mini-series I have ever seen. What's even more cool is how each Deva is an animal from the Chinese zodiac. Anyway, I've come into a little dilemma that maybe you can help me out with. I plan to set the action of the third configuration in the tamers' world (with the Digidestined of course. 02 Digidestined kids only so I'm saying sorry in advance to 01 fans) but I have three main ideas.  
  
1) Pre-Juggernaut. When the gang returns, there are a lot of questions that they have to answer. Plus they have to watch out for digital fields and they have to fight the Digimon that slipped past Yuggoth.  
  
2) Juggernaut. The program becomes activated just as they return and this spells trouble for the Digimon of both the tamers and the Digidestined.  
  
3) Post-Juggernaut. The program opens a rip in the real world to allow access to the Devas as well as other wild Digimon. Chaos reigns as the war between humans and Digimon rages on...with the gang stuck in the middle.   
  
Plus in all three of them, they have to worry about Shadowgallantmon (My name for Chaos Dukemon!! Wicked, huh? If you want to borrow it, ASK!!!). Now for your part. There are three possible storylines and ten installments per configuration. The way it works out is that each gets three votes. Then we'll have a tiebreaker and that will be the one I focus on for the third configuration. What you have to do is answer questions that I will make up based on the Chinese zodiac at the end of each installment in the second configuration. It's rather simple. BUT you must be the first person to review after I post up the segment. I will keep track so don't worry. AND you must answer the question and write down what storyline you're going for (1, 2 or 3). If you don't have one of those details, I will disqualify it and go to the next valid entry. So check out some calendars and do some research!! It's not really that hard, you know. Whew!! I'm done!!! Expect the next one to be out in a few weeks since that one is probably going to be a whopper as well. Review and ask me questions because now that I got the main details out, you can ask me things to iron out the final details. 


	10. First Configuration, Section Ten

Author's Notes: A few things to clear up. First, I have no plans to create DNA digivolutions for the tamers' Digimon because I have no idea about the specifics in DNA digivolution mechanics. Second, according to the Digimon Encyclopedia, Dukemon is referred to as Gallantmon in the English version so I have to create a name for Chaos Dukemon with the word Gallantmon in it. Besides, Dukemon is the Japanese name and my story is based on the dub. I don't know enough about the Japanese attacks and other little things. If you want that type of stuff, check out "Digimon Tamers: Dark Wing". Back to my topic, I didn't want to use "Chaos" as the prefix. A gallant knight who brings chaos? It doesn't make sense. I liked "Shadow" a lot better because it reminds me of the dark side carried by everybody and the fact is that it follows them everywhere. Third, I'm not good at writing romance. But I'll throw things in to make the story interesting. For this installment, I'll be jumping back and forth between Rika's confrontation with the Emperor and the battle with Kimeramon.  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 1.0  
  
"You!!!! Y-you're one of them!!!!" Rika slowly descended down the stairs. The Digimon Emperor could see that Renamon stood not too far behind her tamer in case things got hairy. "Wow. The mighty emperor makes an accurate observation after his obvious failures to see what's in front of him."  
  
The Emperor's face turned into a scowl. "What is that supposed to mean?" A cold smile came across Rika's face. "It's amusing that you still can't figure it out. Shouldn't you have made the deductions already? After all, you are the boy genius Ken Ichijoji. You can do almost anything!!"   
  
He pulled out his whip. "My name is not Ken!!! It's the Digimon Emperor!!! And you will learn to give me the respect I deserve!" Renamon was about to step forward when Rika raised a hand to stop her. "As a matter of fact, I'm giving you the respect you deserve. It's the type of respect that an egotistical, ignorant, cowardly fraud would earn."  
  
"Rapidmon, look out!!" Henry's warning came too late. The Heat Viper slammed into the holy knight Digimon, making a gigantic hole in the wall. Rapidmon came flying back through the hole. "That's it!!! Now I'm really mad!! Rapid Fire!!" Takato had a puzzled look on his face. "How did Rapidmon shake off that Heat Viper so quickly?"  
  
Henry took a moment to recall the facts behind the armored version of Rapidmon. "He's an armored Digimon. His defensive armor has increased considerably so he can take more damage. But his speed had to be compensated. From the way he's moving, I would say that he's 85 percent as fast as he would normally be in his ultimate form." Yolei had to push up her glasses. "Wait a minute...all this time we've been seeing nothing but blurs from this Rapidmon. You're saying that the ultimate level Rapidmon is faster than this?!"  
  
TK had a small worried look on his face. "You have to hand it to Ken. He designed a really powerful Digimon. Can Rapidmon and Magnamon take him down?" Davis turned to the other boy. "Of course they can, TP!! Man, have a little faith will ya? After all seeing how you hold the Crest of Hope, you should be hoping they can win!!"  
  
"Hold it! I think I know why Kimeramon has been able to hold off Magnamon and Rapidmon. He's a data type while Rapidmon and Magnamon are vaccine type Digimon," stated Henry. "What does that have to do with anything?" asked Kari. Henry had a grim look on his face. "From what I remember, virus type Digimon usually have an advantage over data types and vaccine types can defeat virus types. By that logic, data types should be able to defeat vaccine types."   
  
"You are a fraud. The dark spore was the one giving you athletic and academic enchancements and it made you look like a superstar. You felt superior to everyone else. Your parents, your teachers, everyone. The fact is that you're inferior to all of them. They actually worked hard to get where they wanted to be. You took the easy way to success. On the surface, you were able to specialize in almost everything. But the only real thing you specialize in is running away when things get tough. That's what all cowards do." Wormmon stiffened. 'How did she know about the time when a dark spore got implanted inside Ken?'  
  
"I-" Rika cut the Emperor off before he could even speak. "You're running away from an important battle just like you ran away from your problems in real life. You know, every person has them but at least they have the courage to face them and live with the consequences and burdens. You however go into the digital world where you can escape and play this game, which is being the digital version of Napoleon. Games, games, games...is that what your life is all about now? Is everything one big game? Wouldn't games have rules to go by? Here's a reality check for you, Ichijoji. There are no rules and there is no game. There is only the horror which you have inflicted upon the innocents of this world. What would Sam think of you now? He definitely wouldn't see you as the kind and gentle little brother he once knew."  
  
Cody quickly scanned the Digidestined Digimon. "I don't think any of us have any virus type Digimon!!" Takato looked at the somewhat tired Guilmon. "You're forgetting about Guilmon!! He could help fight Kimeramon if he had the energy!!" Yolei gave a sigh. "And this isn't exactly the best time to eat when the entire base could go down at any time!!"   
  
Henry fished around for a card. "Take this, Takato!! It should recharge Guilmon!!" Takato took the card and prepared to slash it through his Digivice. "Digi Modify!! Stamina Activate!!!"Guilmon's energy levels started to rise and soon he was up and about. "Wow...I feel all better. Can we eat, Takatomon?"  
  
Takato took the Digivolution card out. "After this fight, buddy. Di-" Henry stopped him from placing the card in the Digivice. "If Guilmon digivolves, he may tear this place up just by his size!! We need to take the fight outside where there's more room!! Rapidmon!!" The holy knight Digimon heard what his tamer said. "I'm on it!! Miracle Missile!!" A few cracks were made in the wall.   
  
Yolei grabbed her D3. "I'll help too!! Ready, Hawkmon?" The little bird Digimon nodded. "Digi Armor-" Davis held up his hand. "Wait!! We could use Kimeramon to open up the hole for us!! Remember the time we got Redvegiemon to crack the control spire when Flamedramon was right in front of it?"  
  
The others were shocked at the fact that Davis came up with a good idea. Henry was the first to recover. "Yeah! It could probably work!!" Davis grinned before turning back to the fight. "Magnamon!! You have to play matador!! Remember those cool bull fights we saw on TV last week?"  
  
The armored Digimon instantly knew what Davis was getting at. He placed himself right in front of the crack that Rapidmon had made. Kimeramon charged him with all his strength. "Can Magnamon move out of the way fast enough?" asked TK. Henry replied to his question. "Don't worry. Rapidmon will be able to move Magnamon away at the last minute." A crash was heard as the wall collapsed. Rapidmon and Magnamon were hovering safely at one of the sides of the hole.  
  
"We'll keep Kimeramon away while you guys get outside and to safety!!" With that said, the two armored Digimon flew outside to continue the fight. Takato took the card and prepared to swipe it. "Before you do that modify thing, let our Digimon armor-digivolve first so we can fly out!" Cody and Davis gave some room for the other three Digidestined kids.  
  
"DIGI ARMOR ENERGIZE!!"  
  
"Hawkmon armor-digivolved to...Halsemon, the Wings of Love!!"  
"Gatomon armor-digivolved to...Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!!"  
"Patamon armor-digivolved to...Pegasusmon, Flying Hope!!"  
  
Davis grinned. "Alright!! We all have a ride!! I'm calling Nefertimon!!" But before he could move, Henry took a seat behind Kari on Nefertimon with Calumon in Kari's arms and Terriermon on Henry's head. Cody hopped on Halsemon with Armadillomon in his arms. Halsemon groaned. "You have to cut down on the sashimi, Armadillomon!" Armadillomon had a small guilty look. "But they're so irresistable!! Especially with wasabe!!"  
  
Davis grumbled about how life's not fair as he sat behind TK. "What about you, Takato? Aren't you going to get a ride?" Takato shook his head. "I already got a ride. You guys should get going. I'll be right behind you in a jiffy." Pegasusmon and Halsemon headed towards the opening with Nefertimon not too far behind. Takato swiped the card after they were a good distance away. "Digi Modify!!! Digivolution Activate!!"  
  
DIGIVOLUTION.... "Guilmon digivolved to...Growlmon!!"   
  
The platform started to give away. Growlmon gently placed Takato on his back. Takato found the card he was looking for. "Digi Modify!! Hyperwing Activate!!" Just as the structure they were standing on collapsed, Growlmon started to fly. "Let's get going before they're too far ahead!! We have to help Rapidmon!!"   
  
"Hang on, Takatomon!!" The virus Digimon soared through the hole just as the central power core began to explode, finally yielding to the pressure that has been building up. They saw Rapidmon and Magnamon getting a bit worn out but they still kept on fighting. "Rapid Fire!!!" "Magna Blast!!" Growlmon landed where Nefertimon and the others waited and gently placed Takato down. Then he took off again to join the fight.  
  
"Just when will you stop running away from everything? When will you reclaim your ethics and morals?" The Emperor had a dozen drops of sweat all over his face. "What about you? From the way you're talking, it sounds like that you have done some bad things yourself." Rika narrowed her eyes. "I take lives in order to preserve the lives of others. You cause unnecessary suffering." The stairway started shaking due to the central core's imminent destruction. Lights began to blink on and off. The Emperor recognized the pattern. 'The structural integrity of the base is collapsing!!'  
  
Renamon looked at Rika. "We have to go." The tamer nodded. "Here's some food for thought. If Digimon aren't real and everything here is just a game, then what did you see at the soccer match? I'll let you solve that last riddle on your own."  
  
"Pyro Blaster!!" The attack hit Kimeramon in his chest. He fell backwards a little before recovering. "Heat Viper!!" The three Digimon dodged his counterattack. Takato turned to Henry. "Don't you have a Viral Conversion or something?!?" Henry gave a fiery glare. "Even if I did, Takato, I'm not going to use it to change Rapidmon's attribute to virus just to gain an advantage in a fight. If I did, I would be an irresponsible tamer! I have to consider the side effects of a huge transformation!!"  
  
Takato looked at the ground in shame. He hadn't even considered the side effects of such a move. 'I haven't considered Guilmon's well being when I used all those different cards. I shouldn't even be a tamer if I can't put the well being of my Digimon before anything else. But with such strange circumstances taking place, I can't go back to being a normal kid. Please give me another chance, buddy.' He looked up to see Growlmon dodging Kimeramon's Heat Viper. 'I promise that I will be worthy of you.'  
  
A strange electrical shock occurred in his pocket where his cards were. Takato took them out and found a blue card. "Henry!! It's the blue card!!" "What?!?" The other boy looked at the card. "The blue card? What is it?" They saw Davis giving a curious look. "I'm not sure. All I know is that when I found it the first time and slashed it through the card reader, it turned into my Digivice."  
  
Takato took the card and saw in very faint letters 'Matrix Digivolution'. "But this time, I think it's here to give us the extra edge in battle. I have to try this out and hope for the best. Growlmon!!" The virus Digimon retreated back to where the others stood. "I want to try something but..."   
  
"Whatever it is, Takatomon, it will probably make me stronger just like with all the other cards." Takato smiled. He took out his Digivice. "Digi Modify!!! Matrix Digivolution Activate!!" Calumon's mark glowed a bright red as his Crystal Matrix became active. A light emerged from both Calumon and the Digivice to hit Growlmon.   
  
MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION.... "Growlmon digivolved to...Wargrowlmon!!"  
  
They all gasped in awe at the new Digimon standing towards them. Takato was probably the most shocked, considering the fact he hadn't designed Guilmon's ultimate form yet. Statistics started to pop up from Takato's Digivice. "Wargrowlmon, an ultimate level cyborg virus Digimon. His Radiation Blade slices his enemies while his Atomic Baster nukes them."  
  
Wargrowlmon took off into the air. Rapidmon and Magnamon had to regroup from Kimeramon's attacks. "You two should rest for a bit. I'll handle this." Kimeramon remained undaunted by the arrival of the new Digimon. "Heat Viper!!" Wargrowlmon dodged the energy wave. He dived in and slashed one of Kimeramon's arms.  
  
The group could hear Kimeramon howl in pain. Davis blinked in shock. "Whoa!! One attack did that much damage?" Henry checked his Digivice. "Apparently, Wargrowlmon's attack power has increased exponentially probably because of the fact he's fighting a data type Digimon." Takato grinned. "Now's the chance to finish it off!!"  
  
"All together now!! Tri Beam!!" The beam hit Kimeramon right in the face. "Magna Blast!!" Energy waves came from Magnamon's golden armor and hit below the stomach area. "Atomic Blaster!!!!!" Two red beams of energy erupted from Wargrowlmon's chest and hit Kimeramon right in the abdomen. He screamed as he became disintegrated. Soon the Digidestined and the two tamers were shouting in joy with the new victory.  
  
The celebration was short lived when they heard the explosions that came from the Digimon Emperor's base. "Oh, no!!! Rika!!!!" They all stared in horror as the structure erupted into flames. Calumon however was amazed at the fireworks show being displayed in front of him.   
  
Magnamon transformed back to his in-training form, Demiveemon. He started to fall from the high altitude. Wargrowlmon and Rapidmon started shrinking as well. Takato, Davis and Henry ran as fast as they could to catch them. Guilmon landed on Takato while Henry caught a tired Terriermon. Davis kept on running but it didn't appear that he would make it.   
  
A yellow blur ran past him and Demiveemon landed safely in Rika's arms. Takato gawked at how they just appeared like that. "Rika!! Kyubimon!! You're fine!!!! What happened back there?" Rika got off Kyubimon and tossed Demiveemon to a surprised Davis. "Everything started to explode. I used the Digivolution card and Kyubimon blasted a hole to escape. Once we were clear, we turned back to check for the Emperor but he got out by riding Devidramon. There was a bright light and I noticed that Kimeramon got disintegrated by some new version of Dino Boy. Then they all started to shrink. Kyubimon asked me to swipe the Hyperspeed card since goggle moron wouldn't be able to make the catch."  
  
The others soon caught up to them. "So did you find any other Digimon?" Rika shook her head. "The base was pretty much clear. But I did run into Ken. And as far as I'm concerned, he won't be making any world domination plans any time soon." Henry sighed. "I guess as long as he starts working with us to take down the real enemy...where did the blue card and the Digiegg of Fate card go to?" He looked at Kari and Yolei. They both simultaneously shrugged.  
  
"Well, we got a few days before school. I say we should go home and...wait a minute!! Where are they going to stay?" Cody pointed a thumb at the tamers. TK smiled. "We'll figure something out. After all, they were a big help in the fight. The least we can do is give them a place to stay until they can return to the future." Takato raised an eyebrow. "You'll be letting us stay at your houses? I don't think it's necessary. With Ken gone, we can find resources in the digital world and start fixing it up."  
  
"Don't worry about fixing things up now! Our first priority is to give you a home here now that our major problems have been resolved. We insist that you guys stay with us!!" Yolei grinned before giving her trademark wink. Henry was about to speak. "But-" Kari interrupted him. "But nothing!! It's the least we can do!!"   
  
"Gee, that's very nice of you guys. The only polite thing we can do is accept the offer." The two other tamers gave Takato a 'what the hell do you think you're doing' look. Henry gave a sigh. "There's a Chinese curse that my sensei told me: May you live in interesting times. Something tells me that things are going to get interesting with us around."  
  
Rika hung back while the other tamers followed the Digidestined. When they weren't looking, she quietly pocketed the Crest of Kindness that she found near the crash site just before the bright light shone through. 'I'm going to keep you as a souvenir...' "Hurry up, slow poke!! And you say I'm slow..." She ran up to Takato and lightly smacked him on the head. "If you want to keep breathing, don't ever call me slow poke again." The boy rubbed his head as he turned his back on the smoke coming from what was left of the Digimon Emperor's base.  
  
  
There!!! I'm done!!!!! The first configuration is now over!!! Remember to vote for your favorite storyline for the third configuration by answering trivia questions throughout the second configuration. To remind you once more, storyline 1 is pre-Juggernaut, storyline 2 is Juggernaut and storyline 3 is post-Juggernaut (apocalyptic setting). And please include both answer and vote in your review!!! By the way, Henry knew about the other Rapidmon since Terriermon is a character of fiction. Besides, Rika had a Gargomon card in episode 4. If you're having problems understanding the Chinese zodiac, refer to episode 18 titled "The Boar Wars". There's an extremely useful segment that may give you an edge in answering the questions. I originally planned to fulfill a request and have Terriermon use the Digiegg of Miracles but I decided that Wargrowlmon's introduction was more important. How else will Arukenimon be able to create Blackwargrowlmon? 


	11. Second Configuration, Section One

Author's Notes: The second configuration may start out a bit slow. I need to set things up so that the Digidestined Digimon can DNA digivolve later. Just so you know, I've been using a different prefix for Guilmon's alternate digivolutions. It's been Darkgrowlmon, Blackwargrowlmon and Shadowgallantmon.  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 2.1  
  
"How much longer? I'm getting tired of standing around!!" Takato crossed his arms and tapped his foot impatiently. Armadillomon and Guilmon were sleeping quietly with Calumon snoozing on Guilmon's head. Cody kept an eye on his D Terminal. "They'll send us a message when it's all clear to go through the Digiport. This way, you guys don't have to make up some story about how you accidentally wandered into our camp group or something."   
  
Takato started to pace again. "Henry, you look a little worried. What's up?" The other boy gave a little sigh. "I'm not exactly sure about how we're going to live a life in a world which we originally thought never existed except in the imaginations of the writers of the telelvision show."   
  
"Well, it should be pretty much the same back home except there's no Suzie to terrorize me!!" exclaimed Terriermon. The worried look still remained on Henry's face. "Takato, back there at the battle...did I make the right choice? Did my actions seal the fate of the digital world?" Takato shrugged. "Don't worry too much about it. Every choice we face always has those types of things. Like on a multiple choice test, you keep asking yourself which answer is the right one. There's always the possibility that something may go wrong but sometimes we have to take those risks in order to achieve our goals."   
  
"Rika, what's that in your hand?" Rika replaced the crest in her pocket before answering Renamon. "Found it near the base. It's supposed to belong to that boy genius. But since he didn't activate the crest's power, I'm just going to have to keep it until its ready to go to him."   
  
"They're sending me a message! 'Sorry to keep you waiting. The drive took a few hours and we dozed off. You can activate the Digiport. We're right by the river brook and nobody's watching. Yolei.' Hey, guys!! Let's go!!" Guilmon and Armadillomon slowly woke up while Calumon remained in dream land. "Digiport open!!!"  
  
[Insert Digiport sequence, music, all that stuff]  
  
"Whoa!!!" The group fell out of the computer. Calumon bounced off Guilmon's head and headed towards the water. "Hey!!!" Takato ran forward to make a diving catch. A huge splash followed, with the water droplets soaking the other tamers. "AAAUUUGGGHH!!!" When he surfaced, Calumon was laughing. "You humans are so funny!!"  
  
He emerged from the river with Calumon in his arms. "The water is c-cold. AH-AH CHOO!!!" He let out a gigantic sneeze. TK backed off a bit. "Now we need to figure out who's staying with who. I can probably take somebody since it's just me and my mom."  
  
"And there's nobody but me and dad at our place," added Matt. Henry thought about it. "I suppose I should stay at TK's place with Terriermon and Calumon. It will cause a little less trouble...but your mom knows about the Digimon. She was there before the original eight Digidestined traveled back to the digital world to fight the Dark Masters."  
  
Blank looks were on the faces of the new Digidestined. TK noticed those looks. "Remind us to tell you that story sometime. As for mom, she would freak at first about the idea of Digimon again and me going out to fight. But I think she can handle it. She probably won't mind small Digimon like Patamon, Terriermon and Calumon. But Guilmon is another matter." Takato rubbed his head. "Maybe I should have made him smaller."  
  
"Don't worry. Guilmon can crash at my place. Nobody's home during the day and dad's completely cool with the Digimon. Of course it will be a bit messy and the apartment has a special little smell that makes it home. But I'm sure you won't mind," said Matt. Takato gulped. "No, not at all."  
  
Kari noticed that nobody had figured out what to do with Rika. "Rika can stay at our house. I just need to figure out an excuse while Tai can stay at Matt's apartment." Tai was about to argue. "Hey-" "Come on, Tai. They helped us out against Kimeramon," Kari pleaded.   
  
Tai sighed. "All right, all right. You do have some guest bedrooms?" Matt took some time to think. "Yeah but they were converted to storage rooms. I'm going to need some help to turning them back." "Now the problem is how to hide Renamon," said Davis. Rika snorted. "Renamon can just stay out of sight. It's not that difficult." With everything settled, each tamer left with their respective hosts as the others went straight home.  
  
************  
  
"We're doomed!! I just know it!!! Those new kids blab out everything and then the Digidestined stop us before we pull off anything!! Maybe we should quit while we're ahead!!" Mummymon kept on ranting about how everything is going to fall apart. A few moments later, he was lying on the ground unconscious. Arukenimon tossed away the now broken wooden chunk on to the ground. 'They seem to know what actions we were planning to take. We should start the attack early, before events go as they predict.' She began to make her plans.  
  
************  
  
"This is absolutely ridiculous!! You expect me to go to school in this?!? Isn't there anything a little more dignifying?" Rika had denim shorts that reached the tops of her knees. She had a white and pink t-shirt with a pink heart in the centre of the shirt. Kari started to replace the clothes that Rika had tossed out of her closet. "You practically rejected everything else I had. Until we wash your other clothes, this is the best I can manage." Renamon appeared by the window to check up on Rika. The fox Digimon gave a small chuckle.  
  
Rika placed her card pouch at the back pocket along with her Digivice. "Did I hear you chuckle?" Renamon put her hands up, signalling the innocent look. "I didn't do anything. Anyways I'll be right by the school in case you need me."  
  
She went by the mirror to make sure her hair was in the right place. "We're going to be late, Rika!!" With that said, Kari left the room. Rika looked at herself one more time and gave a slight shudder of disgust. "Have a good day at school, Rika." She heard the fox Digimon chuckle lightly and mentally made a note to get back at Renamon.  
  
"Man, I can't believe that you, me and Rika got in the same class as TK, Kari and Davis!! What are the odds?" Takato walked beside Henry as they moved to their morning physical education class. He had his goggles along with a black t-shirt with gray pants. His gym uniform was inside his bag. Henry shrugged. "I don't know. I guess there was enough room to squeeze us in. Geez, this sweatshirt is itchy!!" He wore a green sweatshirt and khakis.   
  
An explosion occurred nearby. Takato and Henry raced over to investigate. It came from the chemistry room where Yolei had just blown up a chemistry experiment. Henry shook his head. "She should have factored in the possibility of a complete combustion!! With the other chemicals reacting to magnify the explosion, I'm surprised this place is still in one piece!!" Takato gave him a funny look. Henry chuckled sheepishly. "We better get going."  
  
The boys had justed started their pre-game warm ups with the girls preparing for their dance lessons. TK gave a huge yawn. Davis practiced shooting a few baskets. "Hey, TI!! You look sleepy. What's up?" TK rubbed his eyes to keep focused. "It's nothing. Henry's snoring just kept me up half the night!!"  
  
"I snore?" Henry and Takato had just emerged from the change rooms to join the warm up. TK nodded. "If you don't believe me, Calumon, Patamon and Terriermon can back me up." Before Henry could ask more questions, the coach had started to make teams. Henry went on TK's team while Takato went with Davis.   
  
Patamon, Gatomon and Demiveemon were watching everything from near the ceiling. "Kari's really a graceful dancer," stated Patamon. Before Gatomon could boast about how she taught Kari to be graceful, Demiveemon made an observation. "What about the other girl? Uh...what's her name...Rika!!" The other two Digimon turned their attention to see Rika off in a corner, not doing anything. "She's not dancing. I wonder why?"  
  
Renamon came out of nowhere to answer that question. "Obviously, this is a physical activity that she does not like. She probably wants to play basketball. After all, she thinks dancing is a foolish activity." Demiveemon looked at Renamon. 'It would be kind of cool to dance with Renamon. But I'm so short!! Even as Veemon, I'm still short!! Raidramon is on four legs. What about Flamedramon? Yeah...' He started daydreaming about Flamedramon and Renamon dancing together. His armored form spun Renamon around gently in the air...(AN: I wrote this while listening to a Linkin Park instrumental piece.)  
  
"Where's everybody else?" asked Gatomon. He snapped out of his daydream. "Guilmon, Calumon and Terriermon are by a tree outside. Once the school day is over, we should let them come inside to the computer room." The others nodded before turning back to the basketball game. TK had the ball and was dribbling it down the court. "Here's TK!!" said Patamon. He made a bounce pass to a teammate but Takato intercepted it. A quick pass to Davis and a simple shot gave their team two points.  
  
"Nothing but net!!" He gave Takato a high five before retreating back to his team's zone. Demiveemon leapt up with joy. "Isn't there anything that Davis can't do in the real world?" Gatomon crossed her arms. "I could name a few things." Henry took the ball and slowly began to dribble. "Did I miss anything?"  
  
The Digimon gave a start as Terriermon appeared right behind them with Calumon. "What are you doing here?" hissed Renamon. Terriermon shot back an annoyed glare. "You go wait in a tree until the end of the school day!! After 20 minutes, things get quiet and boring!!" Patamon grinned. "We could raid the school cafeteria!!"  
  
"Cool!! Whoa!!" Terriermon started to fall. Gatomon leapt out to grab him while her tail tried to hold onto something. Demiveemon tried to keep a hold of the tail but he started to slip. Patamon grabbed Demiveemon with his mouth and tried to keep them hidden. Finally Renamon had to step in. Had anybody looked up at that moment, they would see a line of Digimon struggling not to fall. "That looks fun!!" exclaimed Calumon.  
  
"Over here!!" Henry's teammate had just lost the ball thanks to Takato. He quickly passed it to Davis who was about to shoot when Henry grabbed the ball from his hands. "Yoink!!" "Yoink?!?" Before Davis realized it, Henry was dribbling up the court. He went for a long pass to TK. The boy got the ball, made his way past the last defence man and did an easy lay up. "Alright!! Now that's teamwork!!"  
  
"Go, TK!!!" Kari cheered from the other side. Davis felt his jaw drop. 'She's practically cheering for him! What does he have that I don't...of course!! His Digimon can digivolve to the champion level!! When we go to the digital world after school, I'll get Veemon to digivolve to the champion level as well. Then Kari will be the one cheering for me!!!'  
  
The rest of the day went by slowly. Takato started to design Guilmon's mega form while he waited for the other Digidestined and the other tamers in the computer room. 'Samurai? Too predictable. Maybe a knight...yeah!! Knights are practically the same thing!! Now what is he going to look like?' He remained lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice the others come in. "Takato! Are you listening?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Miss. Asashi!! I promise that I will pay attention next...huh?" Takato found himself to be looking at Kari Kamiya rather than his teacher back at home. "Oh, sorry Kari. By the way you asked me whether I was listening, you sounded a lot like my teacher!! What's going on anyway?"  
  
'I'm going to become a teacher and have Takato in my class?' Kari shook the thought away for the moment. "Rika and Henry have decided that it would be wise if us Digidestined went to the digital world by ourselves. It's just a clean up job anyway. It shouldn't take too long."   
  
Takato took some time to think about the Digimon episode that corresponded with this event. 'Ah, the plan to get Veemon to digivolve. Since Arukenimon won't be making her move until the Digidestined start work on Primary Village, it should be alright.' "Yeah, that would be a good idea if we stay out of sight for a bit. After all, there has to be something else lurking around the digital world if you guys can still go in."  
  
"He's right. The clean up job is completely voluntary. Something else is threatening the digital world. I don't suppose you can tell us...wait, Izzy would say stuff about the prime directive or whatever," mumbled Yolei. Cody gave a smile. "I'm sure we can handle it. If we need your help, we'll send a message through the D Terminal. Did we give you one?"   
  
The tamers shrugged. Then one of Henry's pockets gave a slight glow. It was a D Terminal card. Rika looked at him with disbelief. "You actually take that card along?!?" Henry paid no attention as he slid the card through his Digivice. "Digi Modify!! D Terminal Activate!" From the Digivice's screen, a light came out and formed into a D Terminal. Takato took the card to get his D Terminal. Rika had to calm herself down before sliding the card.  
  
"Well, we got that solved. By the way, Renamon told me of a little mishap that nearly got our Digimon in trouble. I suggest that when we're at school, our Digimon spar with each other. This way, they can be prepared for any unusual events that occur in the digital world," stated Rika.   
  
"Since Flamedramon is the best fighter out of you weaklings, he's going to be my sparring partner. Any objections?" asked Renamon coldly. The room filled with silence. "Good. Now that's settled, you can be on your way." The Digidestined simply went through the Digiport, unsure of what just happened. Demiveemon and Davis were the most confused.  
  
Takato sighed and went back to his work. 'He's going to be a mega, holy knight Digimon so he should have a cape. What about a sword? Nah...he'll be too much like Omnimon. Maybe if I stick one of those weird jousting spears on his right arm...not bad!! He will have a shield with the logo that has appeared on him on the other digivolutions. Now to sketch in his armor. What about a name? Dukemon? Sounds a bit weird and corny.'   
  
"Did you read the part where the gallant knight saves the Empress from the dark dragon? It's sooooooo romantic!!" "Oh, do tell!!" Takato's ears perked up. 'A gallant knight? Maybe...Gallantmon? Hey, that sounds cool!!' Henry was the first to break the silence inside the computer room. "Are you sure we should leave them alone? I'm sure Arukenimon and Mummymon have put the pieces together about us and are altering their plans right now."  
  
"They won't launch an attack today. This is the episode where Davis tries to trick Veemon into digivolving. He eventually does with the help of Tortomon. Don't worry about them, they'll be fine," said Takato as he kept drawing. Their D Terminals started to beep, signalling that they had mail.  
  
Rika opened her D Teminal. "'A new Digimon, that looks exactly the same as Devimon except in color has appeared in the area and has frozen the other Digimon except for Exveemon. Just so you know, that's Veemon's champion level form. Right now, Exveemon's having trouble. We need help!! Kari.' You were saying, goggle head?"   
  
Takato gave a groan. "Me and my big mouth. Guilmon!!" The red virus Digimon stopped admiring his reflection in the computer screen. Terriermon, Renamon and Calumon got inside the room and prepared to go through the portal. Henry started typing commands to the computer to open a gateway near the Digidestined.   
  
"You actually know how to work it this time?" asked Rika. Henry finished setting up the portal. "Izzy showed me how to use the gate over the weekend. The principles weren't that hard. Everything's ready to go!! Digiport open!!" The Digiport read the code on their Digivices and opened up the gateway.   
  
[Insert Digiport sequence, music, all that stuff]  
  
When they arrived in the digital world, their clothes had reverted back to what they wore when they first came to a dimension that originally was nothing more than fiction to them. Takato looked around. "Okay, where are they being attacked?" Henry scratched his chin. "When Yolei assigned the clean up tasks, they were in a forest. That's where we should start."  
  
"Vee Laser!!" The tamers heard Exveemon try his attack. They looked up to see an aerial battle between Exveemon and another Digimon. Rika pulled out her Digivice. "Icedevimon. A fallen angel Digimon. Champion level, virus type. If he gets you with his Frost Claw attack...needless to say, it's worse than getting hit by Frigimon's Subzero Ice Punch."  
  
"How can it be worse? Frigimon practically freezes you solid," stated Henry. Rika kept reading the description. "If a Digimon stays frozen by Icedevimon's power for too long, it'll decompile into data and be absorbed." The other two tamers gave nervous looks. "Avalanche!!" Ice daggers came from Icedevimon's wings and hit Exveemon.   
  
"I'll go after Icedevimon. You help free the other Digimon, okay?" Rika gave a scowl. "Why do you get to fight Icedevimon, goggle head?" Takato shot a fiery look at the female tamer. "We don't have the time to debate this!! Get going!!!" She gave an icy glare before speaking. "Very well. But the next one is mine, is that clear?" Takato nodded. Henry started running to the forest with Terriermon on his head with Rika and Renamon behind them.  
  
"Why is that white thing up there so ugly?" asked Calumon. Takato shrugged as he took out a card. "Let's do this. Digi Modify!! Digivolution Activate!!" Calumon's red mark started to glow as well as Guilmon.  
  
DIGIVOLUTION.... "Guilmon digivolved to...Growlmon!!"  
  
"Just get Icedevimon away for the moment. Ask Exveemon what happened. Digi Modify!!! Dragon Wings Activate!!" Growlmon took off into the air and knocked Icedevimon off balance. Exveemon shook off the Avalanche attack that hit him a bit earlier. "Takatomon wants to know what happened."  
  
"We got to the digital world. Yolei was trying to figure out who's doing what job when that Devimon look-alike came out of nowhere and froze Gatomon and Armadillomon. He knocked Hawkmon and Patamon out with those ice daggers. Davis was about to order me to armor-digivolve into Flamedramon when I got hit by one of those Frost Claws. I couldn't move but I could sense that Davis was in real danger and I just digivolved, breaking the ice prison." Icedevimon tried to regain his focus. "Frost Claw!!"   
  
'Why does he attack so viciously? I don't suppose...maybe he's a control spire Digimon. After all, they usually just attack viciously and they don't even bother to talk except when they announce their attack.' "Dragon Slash!!" Takato snapped out of his train of thought and went back at observing the battle above. Icedevimon dodged the attack and delivered a punch to send Growlmon flying back. "Vee Laser!!"   
  
The energy blast hit Icedevimon but it appeared that it didn't do much damage. Growlmon regained control and started flying up behind Icedevimon. "Time to finish this, Growlmon!! Digi Modify!! Viral Boost Chip Activate!!" Growlmon prepared to fire his attack. "Pyro..." Icedevimon turned around to see Growlmon unleashing his attack. "...Blaster!!" He became incinerated instantly.  
  
The two champion level Digimon slowly made their way to the ground where Takato was waiting. It wasn't too long until the others made their way out of the forest. The frozen Digimon had been released from Icedevimon's power since Growlmon destroyed him. "Man, that was really something!! How does it feel to be a champ?" asked Davis.   
  
While the Digidestined gathered around to talk to the new champion, Takato was telling Henry and Rika about his disturbing discovery. "It was all there. It appeared that the only thing on Icedevimon's mind was to destroy, destroy, destroy. The only conclusion I could come to was that Arukenimon made him."  
  
Henry had a grim look on his face. "So she is altering her plans in order to throw us off. She initiated her attack early and tossed in Icedevimon instead of Thundermon. This complicates matters. Now, the possibility of Ken joining the team and the other Digimon attaining their champion levels has been altered with Arukenimon chaging events. And what about obtaining the DNA digivolutions?" Rika gave a smirk. "Well, at least we get new Digimon to fight. It won't be so predictable as it was last time."   
  
  
We are under way for the second configuration. I planned out a lineup of control spire Digimon before introducing Blackwargrowlmon. Three more champions and an ultimate. Anyways, I've got some things to talk about before the trivia question. In typical novels and other works, a new paragraph begins when someone else is talking. I frankly don't care about that. I'm comfortable with the way I've been writing this and if I change my style, it may cause a bit of confusion for the readers. If you want me to change my style of writing to that of the typical literary work, just put it into your review. I don't plan on inventing a dark Digimon tamer. Although Blackwargrowlmon may be an ultimate Digimon, he'll upgrade to his mega form soon after I introduce him into the story. I haven't thought about Mummymon being a spy for the tamers but I'll write a little about it next segment. I won't kill him for a while so don't worry about it. Ken will be coming back so please be patient!!  
  
Chinese zodiac trivia!! All you need to do is fill in the blank. This one should be super easy. The answer to this question will be revealed in the next installment.  
  
From February 2000 to February 2001, it was the year of the (blank).   
  
Remember to write which storyline you're voting for as well as your answer!!!!! That's it for now!!! 


	12. Second Configuration, Section Two

Author's Notes: The answer to the first trivia question is "dragon". Post-Juggernaut has the first vote. The next question will be at the end of this installment. By the way, I'm going to use different Digimon that weren't in the show for the remaining control spire Digimon. That should hold things up until Blackwargrowlmon arrives.  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 2.2  
  
"Okay, let's see how I can get out of this jam. What cards should I use against your virus version of Metalgarurumon?" Henry pondered silently as Takato waited his turn. 'He already used his Viral Boost Chip and he can't use the Black Gear since Metalgarurumon is a mega Digimon.' The two boys were having a duel during lunch break at school. The other Digidestined kids had kitchen duties to do with Davis and Kari serving lunch, Cody cooking it along with TK and Yolei keeping things clean.   
  
Rika came up behind them and gave a scowl. "Why are you still playing this? We have real Digimon to worry about, you know!!" Takato nearly fell over. "What are you doing here, Rika? I thought you were helping Renamon spar against Flamedramon." The girl crossed her arms. "Renamon didn't want my help. She said if I used Modify cards, then her victory over Flamedramon will be meaningless and there will be no honor."  
  
"A rookie level Digimon against an armored? Doesn't seem honorable to me," murmured Henry as he kept thinking about what his next move will be. Takato took a moment to think. "Flamedramon is a vaccine Digimon while Renamon is a data type. Henry, you told me that we should assume that data types have an advantage over vaccine types if we're following the logic you lay out. So she would have a type advantage over Flamedramon."  
  
"Right. Virus types have an edge over data types and..." Henry placed Wargreymon on the table and laid down the Omega Sword card. "...vaccines beat the living snot out of viruses." Takato groaned. "Hey...it's not fair using Omnimon's Omega Sword and jacking up Wargreymon's attack power by 1000 points!!"  
  
"Fire Rocket!!" Renamon dodged the fireballs and dashed in to make an attack. Flamedramon blocked it with his right leg. The fox Digimon tried to land a punch in his stomach but he backed off. She aimed a jump kick at his head but he grabbed her outstretched left leg. Before he could toss her, she used the momentum to aim an inside roundhouse kick (counter-clockwise) to his head. His grip loosened enough for Renamon to get free.  
  
"How long have they been sparring?" asked Poromon. The other Digimon didn't respond. They were too busy watching Renamon and Flamedramon duke it out. Guilmon stopped watching for a moment. "Um...I think they have been fighting since Takatomon told us to stay here."   
  
Gatomon checked a clock inside one of the classrooms. She nearly gawked at the amount of time that has passed. "It's been four hours!! Right now it's lunch time!!" Upamon groaned. "I'm hungry. I wonder if Cody can get some of that shabu-shabu stuff."  
  
A crinkling noise was heard nearby. This put the other Digimon on guard. Patamon slowly flew to where the noise was being made. "What are-" Terriermon and Calumon turned around and in a small pile were a bunch of candy wrappers. Poromon had an annoyed look. "You mean you had food all this time and didn't tell us?!?" Calumon grinned. "Well, Terriermon said that if you don't know about this, you guys won't mind." Terriermon laughed nervously as the other Digimon started advancing on them with expressions on their faces that made Kimeramon's evil look as scary as a lame Halloween accessory.  
  
"Gotcha!!! Looks like I win this round." Flamedramon had just pinned down Renamon's arms and legs. Renamon gave a sly smile. "Perhaps." She closed her eyes as if concentrating on something. Flamedramon raised an eyebrow suspiciously. She started to raise her head. The armored Digimon still kept his guard up but began to blush as her face got closer to his. "What are you doing?!?"   
  
Her lips were mere inches from his. 'Is she going to kiss me?!?!?' With this rampant thought running through his head, his grip started to loosen. Then Renamon quickly wiggled out of his grip, grabbed his armpits and gave a tremendous back toss (AN: Think the Back Roll from Street Fighter II. Street Fighter II belongs to Capcom). Flamedramon landed on his back and couldn't get up due to his lack of energy.  
  
The fox Digimon walked over to him and knelt down. "You are a skilled fighter but you lack concentration. However you should not worry about it. You will learn to focus your energies as time passes." She tapped his face twice lightly with her hand before walking away. The last thought to go through Flamedramon's mind before he transformed back was 'I gotta talk to Davis about females.'  
  
A few hours later, the bell rang signalling the end of the day. Takato made his way to the computer room behind Henry. "So we're going with them this time?" Henry kept on walking. "That's right, Takato. Since we're attempting to change things for the better, we can help fix Primary Village. When the fighting starts, we stay out of the way. That way, Hawkmon or Armadillomon will have to digivolve to their champion form." Takato gave a laugh. "Alright with me. Now all you have to do is tell Rika and make it out alive."  
  
[Insert Digiport sequence, music, all that stuff]  
  
The group had divided up the tasks to repairs on Primary Village. Rika kept a close eye out for control spire Digimon to battle however Primary Village remained quiet except for the baby Digimon that had just hatched from Digieggs. Guilmon, Takato, Kari, Gatomon, Henry and Terriermon were by the river, helping Elecmon to catch some fish for the babies. Calumon swam inside the river. Davis and Veemon supervised some of the baby Digimon. Yolei and Hawkmon were repairing some of the buildings. TK and Patamon fixed up the perimeter fence.  
  
"Move a few inches to the right, Digmon. Right there!!" Digmon started to drill underground to set up a well. "Doesn't this place get all its water from the river?" Cody checked his map of the area. "Most of the time. But there have been some situations in which the river was unable to provide. By building this well, there'll always be a water source for this place...did you hear that?"   
  
The boy stopped. He could have sworn he heard a neigh from a horse. Digmon turned around to look but didn't see anything. He was about to tell Cody that he must be hearing things when something rammed him from behind. Digmon flew over Cody and collided with a tree. "Digmon!!!!" Renamon heard Cody yell out Digmon's name. "There's trouble, Rika." Rika gave a cold smile. "And a new Digimon. Party time."  
  
Cody ran over to where the now shrunken Armadillomon lay. He looked to see a striped horse Digimon with a helmet similar to Unimon. However he had no wings. Renamon and Rika came from behind Cody and Armadillomon. "Let's see what I can pull up on you...Shimaunimon, a champion level Digimon. Vaccine type. His metal helmet protects him from harm. His Raster Shot and Wild Thunder attacks were made to counter aerial strikes since he's unable to fly."  
  
"Raster Shot!!" Renamon dodged the blast. "Diamond Storm!!" The attack hit him straight on the helmet and fizzled. "Let's increase the heat!! Digi Modify!! Strength Activate!!" Renamon dashed in to deliver a punch. Shimaunimon stood his ground. "Wild Thunder!!!" The attack threw Renamon back a few hundred metres. He turned his focus on Cody and Armadillomon.  
  
'Why is he going after them?' Rika checked her Digivice and gave a small gasp at the new statistics. 'His attack power increases against Digimon who can dig underground. That's why spider lady sent him to take out Armadillomon.' "Raster Shot!!!" She looked up to see Cody and Armadillomon in the line of fire. Cody's D3 began to go off.   
  
"Armadillomon digivolved to...Ankylomon!!"   
  
Ankylomon swung his tail to block the attack. "Get to safety, Cody. I'll handle this. You too, Rika." Cody nodded as he backed off. Rika narrowed her eyes. "No way. Renamon, let's get back to work." The fox Digimon came by her side. "Digi Modify!! Digivolution Activate!!" Underneath the surface of the river, Calumon's mark began glowing.  
  
DIGIVOLUTION.... "Renamon digivolved to...Kyubimon!!"  
  
"Wild Thunder!!" Kyubimon dodged the attack. The electricity bounced off Ankylomon's armor and didn't deal a lot of damage. "Tail Hammer!!" Ankylomon swung his heavy tail and slammed it into Shimaunimon. "Fox Tail Inferno!!" Kyubimon shot nine balls of energy into Shimaunimon. "Raster Shot!!"  
  
Some of the fireballs got nullified but some got through. "Ankylomon, flip him up so I can get a good shot!!" Ankylomon grinned. He slammed his tail into Shimaunimon and flipped him into the air before he could recover. "Going up!!" Kyubimon took aim at the vulnerable area underneath. "Dragon Wheel!!" That finished Shimaunimon off.   
  
"I told you that you should have stayed out of the way. But at least Armadillomon reached his champion form," stated Henry after the group got back together. The Digidestined were too busy checking out the new champion Digimon on the block. Henry started thinking of the latest attack by a control spire Digimon. "I wonder how many more control spires are scattered throughout the digital world. We should start destroying as many as we can before Arukenimon creates Blackwargreymon."  
  
"We should take out Owikawa before Malomyotismon reaches full power. It would also be wise to destroy Mummymon and Arukenimon as well since they present a threat to the digital world, " said Rika in a monotone voice. Takato took this moment to speak. "Hold up a bit, guys. Destroying Arukenimon and Mummymon seems a bit of a waste of potential."   
  
"Did those goggles cut the circulation of oxygen to your head or what? Those two are evil and we have to stop them!!" snapped Rika. "What if they knew that they were going to be destroyed if all goes according to plan? Wouldn't their main priority be to survive? I don't know...I'm just thinking that if Mummymon knew what we knew, he would probably throw in the towel with us since we may be the only hope of saving her life and stopping Malomyotismon," replied Takato.  
  
Henry thought about Takato's proposal. "There are always morals that stand in the way of doing what has to be done to save a life. For example, someone does not want to go through an operation for personal reasons or maybe religious reasons but that operation is the only thing that could save that person's life. A doctor would have to honor the patient's request and not perform the operation. If Arukenimon wanted to die for her mission and her duty to Owikawa, Mummymon would have to eventually honor that." He paused for a moment. "I don't think we should even try to get involved with this matter. There are too many unpredictable factors to deal with. We have other problems to deal with and I don't intend to add any more to the list."  
  
************   
  
"Are you sure you want to go back, Ken? Your last visit brought back a lot of unpleasant memories," said a concerned Wormmon. Ken clenched his fists. "I have a debt to repay to those kids for opening my eyes. I have caused a lot of damage when I was the Digimon Emperor. If I'm to atone for my sins, I have to go back and erase every bit of the evil I represented."  
  
He placed his black D3 inside his pocket. "I've also been seeing some weird things. The day after I came back, I could have sworn I saw a white-haired woman doing something to my computer. She was pulling up statistics on the control spires. But I couldn't see much else since I was too exhausted. Obviously, she might know a few things that I don't. But since she's probably not willing to talk, those new kids may hold the answers I seek. Maybe they'll help heal my soul for hurting my best friend."   
  
Wormmon crawled up to his partner. "Don't worry about the past. Whatever happens from now on, I'll be right at your side." Ken gave a sad smile. "Thanks, Wormmon. I just hope that we can fix things up." His computer screen started to glow. "You know, I saw how popular you were with the females on TV. If they knew that you had become a sort of dark hero, trying to heal himself, they would probably hunt you down with more effort." Before Ken could ask why Wormmon made such an observation, they were sucked in the portal to the digital world.  
  
  
That's it for this installment. For the next trivia question, just fill in the blank.  
  
I was born in December of 1984. Thus my birth took place in the year of the (blank).  
  
Remember to write which storyline you're voting for with your answer!! Answer is revealed next time!! Now for the end of fic ramblings...I didn't see too much of a prospect with Mummymon being a spy. My mind went into overdrive just thinking of the pros and cons that I decided that it wouldn't work. In the next installment, I've got something a little different in mind for Renamon and Flamedramon's sparring session. It's not what you think!! Just stick around and see what I mean!! 


	13. Second Configuration, Section Three

Author's Notes: Quite a few people got the answer to the second question which was "rat". Pre-Juggernaut has the second vote to tie for first place with Post-Juggernaut. Remember to include your vote along with your answer or I won't count it at all and go to the next review!!! Next question is at the end of this chapter!!  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 2.3  
  
"Guys, I saw something really strange. Just before Kyubimon destroyed Shimaunimon, I saw a small bit underneath its skin. It looked black and shiny, kind of like a small bit of a control spire. When we came to the digital world today, there was a control spire just hanging around the top of that mountain. Now it's gone!" The other Digidestined kids turned to look where Cody was pointing at. The tamers had just finished their discussion and joined them from behind. "What are you looking at?" asked Takato.  
  
TK raised an eyebrow. "Henry, you said that only Ken could create control spire Digimon. But Cody just got attacked by one only a few moments ago. How is this possible?" The other boy crossed his arms. "I only said that it was a distinct possibility that Ken was using the control spires in another manner however that hypothesis seems to be incorrect."  
  
"So what do we do now?" asked Yolei. Before anyone could answer, Davis came up with a suggestion. "We should try and find who's transforming control spires into Digimon. But if we do that, whoever it is may create more Digimon out of control spires and totally wreck the digital world. The best thing to do is to knock as many control spires down!!"  
  
"Unbelievable. Davis actually made a logical suggestion," said Rika as she gave a mock gasp of surprise. Davis ignored that comment. "Well, we would have to start tomorrow after school. I gotta go help out at the convenience store," said Yolei. "I have kendo lessons with my grandfather," added Cody. "Alright!! I get the picture!! We'll start tomorrow." Davis pointed his D3 at the TV. "Digiport open!!"  
  
A few moments later after the Digidestined had left with the tamers, Ken found the TV by which they left. "Damn!! I must have missed them!" Wormmon looked around the area. "The Primary Village must be having a renovation. There's tools everywhere!!" A look of regret came across the boy's face. "They're having the renovation because of me...we should help do some repairs while we're here."  
  
************  
  
Arukenimon watched the television which had recorded the conservation between the Digidestined and the tamers. Mummymon felt himself go pale at the thought of what Davis had suggested. "They're going to destroy all of the control spires!! Our power comes from those spires!! What do we do?"  
  
His partner did not respond. 'So far, we have used Icedevimon and Shimaunimon. Those two were some of the most powerful champion level Digimon in the digital world but they were easily beaten. Obviously, brute strength will not defeat our foes.'  
  
"Hello? Mummymon to Arukenimon, are you there?" A scowl came across her face as she hit Mummymon. "Be quiet!!! I'm trying to think!! We need to infiltrate the Digidestined team somehow...and outsmart the new kids. Perhaps I should try a control spire Digimon from a different angle." She turned to face the gigantic dark tower. "Spirit Needle!!"  
  
A flash of light came from the spire as it formed into a Digimon. When everything cleared up, Mummymon's jaw dropped at the sight of Arukenimon's new creation. "You're actually going to use this little pipsqueak to infiltrate the Digidestined group?!?! I do admit that he does look a little like one of their Digimon but what if they catch him?! His colour doesn't match that of the real thing!! If they decide to fight him, he won't stand a chance!! The guy's just a rookie!!"  
  
The new Digimon shot a dangerous glare. "I may be a rookie but I can beat you in a battle of wits any time!!" Mummymon was seriously considering morphing into his battle form and teaching the small Digimon some respect when Arukenimon stopped him. "That's enough bickering. I've been refining my techniques when it came to creating Digimon and I may have just found the perfect solution. However I must test this first."  
  
"Test what?" Arukenimon stroked her hair lightly. "Remember how our boss used his DNA to create the two of us? I've decided to take a similar approach and use my data not just to give life to a control spire but to give it artificial intelligence. There's a safety mechanism in the hair fibre that can dissipate the data if there is any danger. And if necessary, it can convert intelligence subroutines into additional data so that he can digivolve and defend himself."  
  
************  
  
"Davis? I got something to ask you." Demiveemon hopped right beside Davis as he turned off the small lamp nearby before going to bed. "What's up, Demiveemon? Wait...don't tell me. You want me to bring a bag of snacks as a refreshment after your sparring match with Renamon. "  
  
"Uh...that would be nice but that's not it. I want you to tell me about girls and how they are able to make guys fall in love with them. And what do we do when we are in that type of situation." Davis yawned before replying. "Why do you want to know?" Demiveemon was thankful that the room was dark so Davis couldn't see his blushing. "Just curious."  
  
"Well, sometimes it's the way they look. Like when I look at Kari, I see nothing but pure silky skin, strawberry lips and eyes that are so gentle that any guy would give anything to look in them forever. Sometimes, the looks don't really count and you have to look further by the way they act. With Kari, she is so gentle and pure of heart. A girl with both beauty and soul is hard to find. Luckily for me, that search is over...." He gave a contented sigh before drifting off.   
  
"Wait!! But what do we do when we realize that?? Davis!!" It was too late. The room had already gone silent except for the boy's snoring. Demiveemon tried to get some sleep but Renamon's image kept haunting him. 'She's always in my head!! This is totally weird!! If I keep thinking about her like this, she'll always pound me in our sparring matches!!'  
  
************  
  
"Before we begin, no using cheap tactics!! Okay?" Renamon gave a chuckle. "Whatever you say, big boy." Flamedramon started to do a bit of stretching. The group had gathered before school to do a bit of talking. "Cheap tactics? Renamon, what did you do?" asked Rika. "All I did was distract Flamedramon a bit. He let his guard down and I took advantage of that," replied the fox Digimon.  
  
"Hmmmm...I may know a way to make this match a bit more fair." She started rummaging through her cards and found one that confirmed her idea. 'Now to see whether goggle head or Einstein have the card I need...wait a minute. I should just borrow the Digiegg from Davis.' "Davis, can I see your Digiegg of Friendship for a moment?"  
  
The boy blinked in confusion before summoning the Digiegg to materialize from above his D3 on the table. "Okay but I don't know why you want it." Rika gently took it in her hands. "I just want to borrow your Digiegg for a little experiment..." The fox Digimon went slightly pale. 'Is she going to...?' Rika said the activation sequence, confirming Renamon's suspicion. "Digi Armor Energize!!" Calumon's mark started to glow.  
  
ARMOR DIGIVOLUTION....   
  
"Renamon armor-digivolved to...Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!!" Everybody except for Rika, Calumon, Guilmon and Terriermon immediately dropped their jaw when they saw Renamon armor-digivolve to Raidramon. Calumon looked at her in awe. "Hey, you look exactly like the Digimon who leapt into that cave a while back!!" Raidramon raised her head and gave an exasperated sigh. "This is your revenge for me laughing at your pretty girl outfit earlier this week, isn't it?" said the Digimon in her normal voice.  
  
Rika gave a smirk. "Whatever do you mean? Now you have to fight on four legs and he won't get distracted so easily. I evened it out for him." Takato was the first to start stammering. "B-b-b-b-but how d-d-did you know?" Henry started scanning the new Raidramon. "Gotta calm down...here we go. Armored type Digimon, Thunder Blast attack...it says here that this Raidramon is a data type Digimon."   
  
The girl gave a motion for a tamers only meeting. The two followed as the others started to look around at Raidramon. "You haven't answered my question earlier, Rika." Rika gently took a card out of her pocket. Takato's eyes went wide as he saw the card. "I don't believe it!!! A promotional card from the...the..."  
  
"The Youth Division of the Digimon Card Game City Championship Tournament. I won this card as a consolation prize when I came in second place two years ago. I returned last year to play the guy who beat me but he never showed up. He must have chickened out at the last minute or something." In the small text box, it had as the digivolution requirements: Renamon and the Digiegg of Friendship.   
  
The bell rang, snapping everyone back to reality. "Aw man!! I'm going to be late!! I'll see ya later!" Yolei ran off as did Cody to their first class. Once everyone had left, Raidramon gave a sigh. "I should have seen this coming, ever since I saw the card."  
  
'Just when you think you know someone, they pull out a giant surprise.' "Ready?" Flamedramon blinked as he saw Raidramon waiting for him. "Yeah, yeah. I'm coming." The armored Digimon started leaping up towards the roof. "I always wondered who could win. Flamedramon or Raidramon. They're pretty strong guys!!" exclaimed Upamon. "Well, the first time I fought Flamedramon met in battle, I locked him down with the Training Grips," boasted Terriermon. The other Digimon groaned as Terriermon started bragging about his victory.   
  
************  
  
"Whoa!! Check out the test marks!! Ken flunked!!" "No way!! He's a genius!!" The other students gathered around the bulletin board to check out how they did on a test. Ken ignored the speculation and slowly made the walk to the exit. 'What's wrong with me? I used to know all this stuff but now I'm just plain old Ken. I can't focus right...I have to go to the digital world and find something to restore my concentration and help me become the person I was before I found the dark ocean and became the Digimon Emperor.'  
  
"Ken!! You're home early! How was school, honey?" Ken placed his school bag on the ground. "It was okay. I'm having a bit of trouble focusing myself but I'll just take some extra tutorial or something." His mother gave a smile. "Don't stress yourself over one failure. You should get some rest and let some of the pressure come out of you." Ken nodded and headed straight for his room. Had anyone been observing, they would have noticed a flashing light through the small gap underneath his door.  
  
************  
  
"Golden Noose!!" Nefertimon and Pegasusmon dragged down a few control spires with their combination attack. Ankylomon whipped his heavy tail to knock down another control spire. "Tail Hammer!!" Exveemon powered up his attack. "Vee Laser!!" Halsemon fired a Tempest Wing on another spire.  
  
Davis gave a grin. "Good work everyone!! Let's take a break!! Yolei brought some refreshments for you guys!!" The Digidestined Digimon immediately reverted back to their rookie forms (except for Gatomon of course) and charged towards the snack bag. Growlmon finished off another control spire with his Pyro Blaster. "Can I go eat, Takatomon?"  
  
Takato laughed. "Sure. Just try not to go overboard or anything." The champion level Digimon started jogging to where the others were eating. Kyubimon continued to work while Gargomon begged Henry to let him go to the refreshment area. Calumon went to the snack bag for a treat.   
  
"I'm going to fly around a bit. When the break's over, just let me know. I'll be around that area," said Patamon. TK smiled. "You got it." The little Digimon started flying towards one of the forest areas. When he got near one of the trees, he could have sworn he saw something. "Hello? Is anyone there?" He heard the leaves ruffle a bit and a shadow came from behind. Patamon turned around and gave a gasp of surprise. "You-" "Sonic Burst!!" (AN: the original Japanese name is Bad Message.)  
  
A few minutes had passed. TK was starting to get worried. Patamon should have been back by now. "Hey, is there something wrong, TK?" asked Cody. TK looked at the forest where Patamon had flew off to. "I'm going to go find Patamon. He probably got lost or something. You can start without us. If I need a hand, I'll send a message through the D terminal."  
  
"Hold up, TK. It's a big forest. I'll help search for Patamon," said Yolei firmly. TK hesitated before nodding. Yolei headed into another area of the forest with Hawkmon at her side. TK started running in the direction where he saw Patamon last. "Patamon!! Where are you? It's hard to see anything with this weird purple fog!!"   
  
He saw a shape that looked like Patamon. "Patamon!! Is that you?" The Digimon gave a tiny wave. "Over here!!" TK raised an eyebrow. "Your voice...Patamon, do you have a sore throat or something?" He heard a small cough. "Yeah. Must be something that came from this purple fog." TK went further inside to get his friend. "I almost got you..." "Sonic Burst!!"  
  
"They should be around here somewhere. The signals I'm getting told me they were here. Stupid purple fog," muttered Ken as he walked through the dense forest. He stopped as he heard a grunting noise on his right. Wormmon looked up at him. "Is something wrong?" Ken slowly walked to the area where he saw a knocked out TK being dragged by a little Digimon that looked like Patamon. The real Patamon lay unconscious by one of the trees. "Geez, I wish the boss could have gave me a little help. This guy's heavy!!"  
  
"What's going on, Ken?" Ken placed a finger on his lips, signalling Wormmon to be quiet. "I'm not quite sure but TK and Patamon are out cold by a Digimon that looks like Patamon except he has purple skin where Patamon has orange and he has yellow eyes. We should sneak them out when he's not looking. Who knows what that Digimon has up his sleeve," whispered the boy.   
  
When they saw the little Digimon fly away, they quietly went to grab TK and Patamon. "What do we have here?" They both whirled around to see the Patamon imposter glaring at them with his golden eyes. Wormmon gave a startled look. "We saw you fly away!! How did you know?" A smirk came across the Digimon's face. "You weren't whispering quietly enough. Now I'm going to have to get rid of you. Sonic Burst!!"  
  
"What?" Kyubimon had just finished knocking down another control spire when she heard something. "What's wrong, Kyubimon?" The fox Digimon narrowed her eyes. "Trouble. It came from that direction." Rika took out her Digivice to see its compass was pointing in the same direction. "Let's go."  
  
"Sticky Net!!" Wormmon shot a sticky fluid but his opponent flew overhead and shot another Sonic Burst. "I got them!! Let's get out of here!!" Wormmon shook off the attack and started his hasty retreat. But they didn't get very far, seeing how Yolei and Hawkmon were blocking their path. "What do you think you're doing, Ken?" Before Ken could answer, he was knocked down by a Sonic Burst. "Thanks for stalling them for me. As a reward, I'll make your death a quick one," grinned the little Digimon. "You mean, you knocked out TK and Patamon?" asked Hawkmon. The imposter gave a laugh. "That's right. Now hold still so I can finish you all in one shot."  
  
Yolei knelt down before the dark haired boy. "You were trying to save them, Ken? My God, what have I done?" Hawkmon took a protective stance. The girl gave a fiery look at the other Digimon. "You're going down, buddy!! Hawkmon!!!" Her D3 started going off. "Hawkmon digivolved to...Aquilamon!!!!"   
  
Rika and Kyubimon leapt in to see Aquilamon, Yolei and two unconscious Digidestined kids along with their partners. She pulled out her Digivice to check out the rookie Digimon. "Tsukaimon, a rookie level Digimon. Virus type. His Purple Fog blinds his enemies so that he can hit them hard with a Sonic Burst."   
  
"This looks bad. I need a battle upgrade." Tsukaimon started to glow as the hair fibre started rewriting his digital code. Rika narrowed her eyes. "Is he digivolving?" Now instead of Tsukaimon, Ninjamon stood in his place. He started to take out something when Aquilamon attacked. "Blast Ring!!"  
  
Ninjamon quickly dodged the attack. He concentrated to create multiple copies of himself. "Fox Tail Inferno!!" Nine fireballs came out from Kyubimon's tails to attack each copy. When the smoke cleared, only one Ninjamon was left. "Aquilamon!! It's a control spire Digimon!!" A small bit of a black shiny metal was showing underneath a cut. "Alright then!! Grand Horn!!!" Aquilamon dove in for the kill. Ninjamon had no time to react and dissipated into data when the attack connected.   
  
"Ken!! Wake up!!" The boy stirred and opened his eyes. Most of the Digidestined stood above him to see if he was okay. Cody stood off in another area, preferring not to talk to Ken since he still felt that the former Emperor can not be trusted. "You tried to save my life. Thanks," said TK. "And that goes double for me," added Patamon.  
  
"I just wanted to help. Excuse me but I need to talk with those three." He pointed a finger at Rika, Henry and Takato. The Digidestined decided to leave him alone with the tamers. Ken walked up to them, uncertain what to ask first. "What do you want?" asked Rika coldly.   
  
"First, I want to say thank you for helping me see some things that I couldn't see before. If you didn't give me that speech, I would have probably winded up doing some more regrettable things." The two male tamers looked at Rika who just gave a 'whatever'. "You also seem to know a lot of stuff about me. I need to know what happened that changed me so drastically."  
  
Henry was about to give the 'temporal prime directive' speech when Rika interrupted him. "Okay, genius. I guess you deserve to hear the truth. A few years ago, a little boy was jealous of his older brother, so jealous that he wished that his brother was dead. He got his wish and became even more miserable than ever to the point which he gave up all hope to live. A dark force took advantage of that and magnified it to the point where you turned into a diabolical evil genius. But the main fact was that he found it so easy. You never even put up a fight to remain who you were: a nice, decent person who represented the human element of Kindness in the digital world. That is what makes me sick. I can understand if you fought hard but lost in the end. Giving up before the battle has even begun is another matter." Ken remained shocked at what Rika had just told him. What shocked everyone in the group was what she did next.  
  
"See this, genius?" She held up the Crest of Kindness. Takato and Henry gave each other startled looks. "This represents what you were before you went to the dark side. So far, you have not displayed any sort of genuine kindness to have this in your possession. Since you don't deserve it, this Crest is staying with me for safe keeping." With that said, she started to walk away. Ken fell down on his knees and slowly started crying. Wormmon crawled up to him. "The worst part is that she's right. I'm not worthy." He silently sobbed while Wormmon tried to comfort him.  
  
  
Another chapter is done!! I may have to slow down my writing pace during the Christmas holidays since I have other things to do. Visiting family and friends, playing video games and just relaxing as the year 2001 is coming to an end. I introduced the new mechanic of the hair fibre actually being able to play around a bit with the control spire Digimon's code because I need to use it one more time in the next segment. Who's the feature Digimon? Just wait and find out!! Before I forget, here's my trivia question of the segment. Just fill in the blank. This one should be quite tricky.   
  
On Tuesday October 29, 1929, the stock market crashed, signalling the start of the Great Depression. "Black Tuesday" occurred in the year of the (blank).   
  
Please remember to write your answer AND your vote!! I can't stress that enough. I already have an idea for a sequel in my head. AAAUUUGGGHHH!!! So many ideas, so little time to get them all down in print!! 


	14. Second Configuration, Section Four

Author's Notes: I expected that the last one would stump some people but there are those dedicated readers who searched high and low to find out that the answer is "snake". Pre-Juggernaut is in the lead with two votes. Next question is at the end of this chapter!  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 2.4  
  
"I'm not worthy..." The tears fell freely from Ken's eyes but he didn't care. Everything else had been taken from him except for the Digivice which he created out of pure darkness. Although Wormmon was there, he felt that he no longer had the virus Digimon's full trust.   
  
Takato was trying his best not to freak out at this new revelation. "I can't believe that she took the Crest!! Of all the people to safeguard it, why did it have to be her?" Henry had a concerned look on his face. He had to help Ken get through this psychological trauma or else Stingmon might not make his appearance. Which means no DNA digivolving and no Imperialdramon to stop Malomyotismon. Takato knelt down by the other boy. "Don't mind her, Ken. She just hates quitters."  
  
"Exactly!!! Don't you see that she hates me? It's because I gave up on my old life with everything that was ever dear to me!!" Takato wasn't sure what to say but he knew that this was a delicate situation. Henry decided to break the small silence. "Ken, we would like to tell you the answers but then we would be saving you all the work. You must see things from a new perspective if you are ever to move on. Perhaps once you find that, the Crest of Kindness will recognize you as the rightful bearer."   
  
"You really should cool down a bit. Momentai!!" Henry gave a small smile at Terriermon's comment. "Terriermon's right. You don't have to stress yourself over this. I have faith that you can find what you're looking for." Takato grinned. "We can give a little advice along the way but you probably won't need it since you are smart enough to make the right decisions."  
  
Ken wiped a few tears away with his sleeve. "What about her?" Takato crossed his arms. "If you keep acting like this, you'll prove her point. The sooner you get started on your new path, the sooner you can prove her wrong. That's all there is to it." The tamers decided to let this sink in and turned to leave. Ken got up slowly. "Let's go, Wormmon." Guilmon gave one last look over his shoulder. "Will he be alright, Takatomon?" Takato gave a nod. "I have no doubt about it. Let's get back to the Digiport."  
  
************  
  
Mummymon kept driving the vehicle towards their destination. "So now that the test with the runt has proven to be successful to some degree, what do we do now?" He stopped the jeep when he got to the location. Arukenimon looked at the small clutter of control spires before her. "Isn't it obvious? I create a Digimon using the same parameters that I used to create Tsukaimon except this time, it will be a champion level Digimon that creates havoc and digivolves to ultimate once they have all assembled together. They will all fall in one glorious attack!!"  
  
"But don't they have an ultimate level Digimon? I believe it was the red one. Yes, it was him who administered the final blow to our puppet's creation. And even if they don't, they still outnumber us at least two to one."Arukenimon gave a dark smile. "I believe I have the perfect Digimon for the job. She is a ferocious fighter in her ultimate form. If the entire team shows up, we join the fight. Regardless of their numbers, they have no chance against three ultimate level Digimon!!"  
  
Mummymon scratched his head. "Um...did you remember how those new kids were able to defeat Gigadramon and Megadramon? They were ultimate level Digimon too, you know." Arukenimon prepared to get to work. "This simply means I'll have to create a decoy." She gave a small laugh. "And I have just the candidate who will be able to do that just nicely. Spirit Needle!!"  
  
************  
  
"I don't belong in the digital world at all, Wormmon. I've already had my chance to do some good but instead I quit on that and became evil. The only thing I would have regretted if I didn't go is not meeting you." Ken lay on his bed, just drifting in a sea of thoughts. "I'm just not sure what I'm going to do."  
  
"What you're going to do is to get yourself out of this depressing mood and find your answers! Don't think that you don't belong in the digital world. That's a quitter talking!! You've changed back to your old self, Ken. Once you prove it to yourself and the others, the rest will fall into place." The boy turned his head slightly to look at Wormmon. He saw trust reflecting in the virus Digimon's blue eyes.  
  
************  
  
Takato went over to look at the sight before him. "So this is the mountain area where Blackwargreymon came to life. Well, since we're trying to change things for the better, let's tear down those control spires!! Growlmon!!" The virus Digimon unleashed a Pyro Blaster to destroy a spire. "Gargo Laser!!" Another one toppled over. "Fox Tail Inferno!" Nine balls of energy concentrated in one specific location to bring another spire down.  
  
The group had just finished another day of school and had just begun working. The tamers decided to take the mountain area to prevent Arukenimon from creating Blackwargreymon. The Digidestined were all working near the forest where assorted control spires loomed overhead. Rika tapped her foot impatiently while Calumon enjoyed the sight before him. "We should be going after our enemies and bringing the fight to them!! Who cares if spider lady can make Digimon? We'll just deal with them when they come!!"  
  
"At this point, I would rather not take the risk of dealing with a mega Digimon. Regardless of the amount of cards we possess and our numbers, a mega Digimon could overpower us easily," stated Henry. Out of the corner of his eye, he thought he saw a shadow move. "What the...?" "Erase Claw!!!!" Their Digimon barely had time to dodge that attack. A black dragon Digimon with red wings hovered in the air with a dark lust that could easily be seen in his eyes. He started diving down towards Growlmon. Takato pulled out a card. "Digi Modify!! Hyperspeed Activate!!"  
  
Rika gave a smirk as she took out her Digivice. "Excellent...apparently, that goon up there is Cyberdramon, an ultimate level Digimon. Vaccine type. When he is given a target, he uses his Erase Claw attack to kill them and everything else that stands in his way. He also has a lust for battle that could only be rivalled by Skullgreymon. So we're the chosen targets, eh? Kyubimon, walk all over him!!"  
  
In another part of the digital world, Arukenimon's other creation was setting up various road blocks and dead ends before the actual encounter takes place. The boss had specifically ordered that all escape routes be blocked and all televisions within the vicinity be destroyed so that the Digiport can't be opened. This time, there was no place for the Digidestined to run and the other kids have their hands full with Cyberdramon.  
  
"I don't think we can be of any help right now, Wormmon. We don't have the strength to knock down a control spire!! I'm not sure if I can find a way out of this jumble that I created for myself. " His voice echoed throughout the place, indicating his presence in the digital world. 'So the boss lady's former puppet is trying to put things right again. Hmmmm...'   
  
"Doesn't this guy ever quit?!?" Gargomon fired another round from his machine gun hands. Cyberdramon dodged the attack and went in for a close range attack. "Erase Claw!!" Gargomon fired a shot from the ground to propel himself into the air. Henry whipped out another card. "Digi Modify!! Imperialdramon's Positron Laser Activate!!" Gargomon's hands formed into a giant cannon. "Positron Laser!!" Cyberdramon had already vacated his previous spot and was attacking Growlmon.   
  
"Dragon Slash!!" Cyberdramon was forced to back off from Growlmon. Takato took out his pile of cards. "I hope I can find a blue card in here!!" Rika froze when she heard Takato mention the blue card. "Blue card?!!? Of all the stupid...why the heck would you want a blue card right now??"  
  
"The card enabled Growlmon to digivolve to his ultimate form!!" Rika's expression changed immediately. "The blue card...you're telling me that not only can it make Digivices when slid through card readers but it allows our Digimon to digivolve to their ultimate forms?!?"  
  
Ken checked the signatures on his D3. The Digidestined weren't too far away. Tracking them is the easy part. Proving that he has changed in another matter. A voice came out form nowhere. "Hello there, little boy. Are you lost?" Ken stopped in his tracks. "W-what did you say?"  
  
"You are lost, aren't you?" Wormmon started looking around for the source of the voice. "We should keep moving, Ken." Ken raised his hand as a signal to be quiet. "In more ways than one, I'm afraid." A black cat Digimon came from above the tree and landed in front of him. (AN: Okay, now this is going to be a Season 2 Digimon Analyzer sequence)  
  
Wormmon looked at the new Digimon. "Be careful, Ken!! That's Blackgatomon right in front of you!! She's the one who invented the superstition of black cat crossings giving bad luck!!" The champion level, virus Digimon smiled. "You shouldn't believe in superstitions anyway." Wormmon narrowed his eyes.  
  
Blackgatomon turned her attention to the boy. "If you wish, I can give a bit of advice on how you can find the clarity in life that you seek. You seem to need it." Wormmon was about to state his objections but Ken silenced him. "They're just words, Wormmon. It doesn't hurt to listen." Wormmon still had an uneasy feeling as Ken approached the other virus Digimon.  
  
Henry pulled out another card and prepared to slash it through his Digivice. He stopped suddenly as he looked at the card. "A Program card...using the power of the net to make your Digimon digivolve...where did this come from? I never used this card in any of my other decks!!" "Erase Claw!!!" Cyberdramon missed Gargomon by mere inches. "Why do you have to be so crazy? Momentai!!!"   
  
The boy decided that figuring out how he got the card in the first place was something that he should save for later. "Let's see what you can do. Digi-" Sparks of electricity came from the card and the Digivice. Henry was forced to pull back the card. It glowed a soft blue before settling down. Henry couldn't believe what he was seeing. In the palm of his hand lay the blue card.  
  
"So what's your idea of clarity? How can you see things so clearly?" Blackgatomon gave an impish grin. "It's all about indulgence, young man. You do what you feel like doing and you have no regrets. In life, there are a lot of temptations. Instead of resisting the nature that resides within you, you should try doing those things. At one point of your life, you wanted to be in control of the entire digital world. You probably still want that control. It's in there, beating inside your chest."  
  
Ken widened his eyes. "N-no..." The cat Digimon continued. "The reason why you are so lost is because you're trapped between your morals as a human and your natural born instincts. You crave order. The digital world is the exact opposite. If you want to fix it, you should install order in the digital world. Your order. The only way to accomplish this is to push your morals all the way down. It's a bit of a tough job but I doubt that finding your new perspective on life as a good guy is much easier."  
  
As soon as she said that, Ken regained his posture. "The road to redemption is not an easy path. But when I reach the end of that road, I will know that I have accomplished something through hard work and sacrifice. Taking the easy path would do no good. If I quit now, I may never get another chance. I have to fight to remain who I am. Once I lose my identity, I have nothing. As far as I'm concerned...my top priority is remaining the kind and gentle person for the rest of my life!!!" A faint glow appeared on the screen of his D3.   
  
Kyubimon was thrown back into a control spire by Cyberdramon. "Kyubimon!! Look out!!!" It looked like that Rika's warning came too late. But Growlmon intercepted Cyberdramon before he could fire another Erase Claw. Henry ran over to Gargomon. "It's time for you to go up to the next level, if you're up for it."   
  
The rabbit Digimon grinned. "Bring it on!!" Henry slashed the blue card through his Digivice. "Digi Modify!! Matrix Digivolution Activate!!" Calumon's mark started to glow red. "Wow...the gun bunny's starting to glow!!"  
  
MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION.... "Gargomon digivolved to...Rapidmon!!"  
  
Cyberdramon tossed Growlmon down. "Erase-" "Rapid Fire!!" Missiles hit the ultimate level Digimon from behind. He turned around but there was nobody there. Rika pulled out her Digivice. "Rapidmon, ultimate level cyborg warrior Digimon. Vaccine type. According to this, this guy's the fastest ultimate level Digimon in the entire digital world!!" In her pocket, the Crest of Kindness started to glow a bright purple. She took it out and examined it. 'What is that boy genius doing?'  
  
"Well, I tried to point you in the right direction but unfortunately you're a moron. Thunder Uppercut!!" (AN: In the Japanese bersion, Tailmon, Gatomon's Japanese counterpart, and Black Tailmon both had a Cat Punch. Instead of using Lightning Paw, I went for something different) Blackgatomon raised her left arm, her furry blue gloved hand in a fist. "Wormmon digivolved to...Stingmon!!" Stingmon leapt in front of Ken and parried the attack. Blackgatomon raised an eyebrow. 'Since when could that wimp digivolve?'  
  
"Spiking Strike!!!" A pink blade of energy came out of the top of Stingmon's hand. He charged towards the other virus Digimon. She concentrated as she caught the blade between her blue gloves. Stingmon kept going forward, bit by bit. Blackgatomon started sliding back slowly.   
  
"Erase Claw!!" Cyberdramon tried to attack but Rapidmon was way ahead of him. "Okay you big bully!! Eat this!! Tri Beam!!!" A triangle formed from Rapidmon and was shot towards Cyberdramon. He was knocked down but not for the count. Rapidmon gave a small groan. "Doesn't this guy ever die?!??!"  
  
"We'll just have to try destroying him with something different. Digi Modify!! Frigimon's Subzero Ice Punch Activate!!" Rapidmon started to dash forward towards the dragon Digimon. Before he could use an Erase Claw, Rapidmon went behind him. "Subzero Ice Punch!!" He became frozen in a matter of seconds. Henry grabbed another card to finish the fight. "Digi Modify!! Imperialdramon's Positron Laser Activate!!" After a few moments, there was nothing left of Cyberdramon except for residual traces of data.  
  
Blackgatomon forced herself to get a grip on the ground and tossed Stingmon to the other side. He recovered in the air. "Spiking Strike!!" Blackgatomon gave a growl. It's time to pull out the big guns. She started her transformation. Stingmon wasn't sure what's going on but he kept charging anyway. The next thing he knew, he missed his target and got heavily scratched on his back.   
  
Ken didn't believe what he saw. Blackgatomon just somehow digivolved into Ladydevimon. She easily dodged the attack and slashed his back with her sharp nails. He was sent crashing into the forest. "What the heck is that?!?" The Digidestined gathered around the fallen Stingmon. Kari looked up in the air and gasped. "I don't about him but I definitely know her!! That's Ladydevimon!! She used to be Piedmon's bodyguard on Infinity Mountain!!"  
  
"Stingmon!! Are you okay?" Ken came running into the area. "You know this Digimon, Ken?" asked Yolei. Ken helped Stingmon get up. "This is Wormmon's champion form." The others gave surprised looks.  
  
"Darkness Wing!!" A wave of black energy started to head towards them. The Dgidestined had to get out of the way. TK hid behind a tree. "Be careful, everyone!! She's an ultimate level Digimon!!" Sweat started to roll down Cody's face. "An ultimate level?!? This isn't good!!"   
  
"She's already started the party? How rude!! We better get there as soon as possible, pumpkin!" Mummymon started morphing into his battle form as well as Arukenimon. "That's probably the most reasonable thing to do. And you actually thought it up by yourself...and can the sweet talk." "Fox Tail Inferno!!"  
  
Before they could react, nine fireballs pummeled them on to the ground. The tamers stood in front of them, with Growlmon and Rapidmon ready to fight. Calumon was on Takato's head. "How...they beat Cyberdramon!! Time to retreat. Acid Mist!!" "Get back!!" hissed Henry. Arukenimon and Mummymon took this time to escape.   
  
"Vee Laser!!" "Grand Horn!!" Ladydevimon easily dodged both attacks. Exveemon gritted his teeth. "She's too fast!!" She started diving down. Pegasusmon came in front the side. "Star Shower!!" The attack bounced off her armour. Before she could make an attack, Rapidmon arrived and fired a Tri Beam at close range. She let out a bloodcurdling scream before dissipating.  
  
"Hey, is everyone in one piece?" Takato walked over to the other Digidestined. Some of them were a bit shaken up but otherwise they were fine. Henry gave a small sigh of relief when he saw Stingmon. 'Now everything is set up for the DNA digivolutions.' Rika noticed that the Crest of Kindness started glowing more strongly. She walked over to Ken. "Hey, genius." He looked up and caught the Crest of Kindness. "It'll probably be safer with you, anyway."   
  
She started walking away, not even thinking about keeping the Crest safe by herself. The Crest of Kindness had been the last thing on her mind when the fact became clear to her that she was the weakest tamer. Twice, Einstein and goggle head have surpassed her by having their Digimon digivolve to their champion forms and ultimate forms before Renamon got to that level. Rika clenched her fists. "They aren't the ones who are inferior. I am." Renamon stood silently behind her tamer, with a clearly worried expression on her face.  
  
  
I'm finally off for the holidays!! Nothing much except relax and do homework. I hate the fact that I have homework. Homework and holidays do not mix!! Period!!! Let's just go to the trivia question of the day.  
  
In the 12 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac, where is the monkey positioned?  
  
Write your answer in words, not numbers!! (First, second, third, etc.) For fans who want Juggernaut and Post-Juggernaut, you have got to answer these questions as fast as you can!! You have also got to place your vote along with the answer to count!!! Sorry for not writing Renamon/Flamedramon moments. I also have to get to that talk between Davis and Veemon. Next installment features a totally different ultimate level Digimon so keep reading and reviewing!! I wish you to have a safe and happy holiday!! Merry Christmas!! 


	15. Second Configuration, Section Five

Author's Notes: In the Chinese zodiac, the monkey is ninth on the 12 year cycle. Pre-Juggernaut is one vote away from being the focus of the third configuration.   
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 2.5  
  
'What's wrong with me? I'm the Digimon Queen!! The best of the best!! One of the elite players!! And yet...those two simpletons have advanced their Digimon to the next level before I did. How is it possible? Just how did I become the inferior Digimon tamer all of a sudden?' "Rika?" The girl snapped out of her thoughts and back to reality. "What do you want?"  
  
Kari pulled out the keys to the apartment. "If I didn't say something, you would have walked all the way to the end of the hallway." Rika's face flushed slightly, probably due to a combination of anger and embarrassment. "Kari? Rika? Is that you? I've got some treats for you two!!" Rika ignored Mrs. Kamiya's offer and went straight to her room. She didn't even notice Renamon waiting inside. "What's wrong, Rika?"  
  
"Oh, nothing. Other than the fact that I just learned that I'm the weakest Digimon tamer, everything's just fine and dandy." She tossed down her backpack and sat on the bed. Renamon sat beside her. "How do you know that you're the weakest tamer? Is there any definite sign that you're the weakest?"   
  
"Let's see...Terriermon and Guilmon have been able to reach their champion and ultimate levels before you did and the fact is that I'm not making you strong enough. Remember when we first met? We made a pact to be the strongest Digimon and Digimon tamer in the world. You may think you're fulfilling that pact...but I'm not. I can't believe it took me this long to realize it." Rika clenched her fists in frustration while Renamon remained silent.  
  
************  
  
"Don't beat the living snot out of each other. You're going to need some strength to knock down more control spires!!" Davis gave a cheerful grin before heading off to class. Flamedramon made a promise to himself to have that partner to Digimon talk about females in the digital world. He leapt up to the rooftop to meet Renamon.  
  
The fox Digimon didn't even notice him. She just stood there, staring at the wide open. Flamedramon approached her cautiously. Was this another one of her mind tricks? He was about to make an attack when Renamon started to walk away. He stood there dumbfounded. Before he could ask a question, she already gave him his answer. "I don't feel like sparring today. I got too many other things on my mind."  
  
"It's your partner, isn't it? You worried about her." She looked at him in surprise. "How do you know?" Flamedramon closed his eyes. "I usually act the same way when I'm worried about Davis. He's practically my best friend and when something bothers him, it starts to bother me as well."  
  
Renamon crossed her arms and looked up at the drifting clouds. Flamedramon came up beside her. "If you want, you can talk about it. I know what it's like." Renamon shook her head. "You wouldn't understand this particular situation. It's different from what you're accustomed to." "What's the difference?" asked Flamedramon.  
  
"Rika feels that she's the inferior one of our group. She believes that she's breaking the special pact we made when we first met a while ago. I'm not sure what to do." Flamedramon thought it over for the moment. "Perhaps you shouldn't do anything. Sometimes inaction is the best action you can take...I think that's how it goes. Wait a sec...let me think about that for a bit..." Renamon gave a small chuckle. "Maybe you shouldn't think...it'll be less of a headache for you."  
  
"Wow, it's actually quiet up there. I wonder what they're doing," murmured Patamon. Terriermon rolled his small black eyes. "Sparring!! What else did they do for the past few days up on the roof?" Guilmon scratched his head. "But I remember hearing some explosions up there. There aren't any explosions now." Gatomon narrowed her eyes. "He's right...it's quiet up there."  
  
"You guys don't know anything!! The reason it's quiet is because they're probably practicing stealth combat techniques or something!! I had to use stealth combat techniques against big Digimon like Gorillamon!!" Calumon gave Terriermon a confused look. "But I never saw you use any of that stuff on Gorillamon."   
  
Terriermon looked sharply at Calumon. "What would you know about it?" Calumon's ears folded. "After I went down that cool whirly slide, I heard somebody describing Gorillamon. Then this big sea snake came out of nowhere and fought the other guy. You weren't there at all."   
  
"I remember fighting a Gorillamon back in both the digital world and in the real world. Maybe not the Gorillamon here but...Guilmon!! You were there when Gorillamon came to our world!" Guilmon thought back for a moment. "I guess so...I do remember that I asked Takatomon if we could have something to eat." Upamon started to bounce up and down. "When do we eat?"  
  
Terriermon gave a frustrated sigh. "Well...it was just me and Guilmon against Gorillamon. It didn't look good. What would you expect the outcome would be with two rookies fighting against an obviously superior Digimon? I remember that Takato was asking Henry to make me digivolve but Henry kept saying no. So I had to fight in my rookie form. Guilmon got beaten up heavily. So it was up to me..." Poromon gave a yawn. "Great...you just had to get him started."  
  
Lunch time came around eventually. As the Digimon waited for Izzy to bring back some food, Henry had just started tracing back to where he found that card. "So any idea where that blue card came from yet?" He looked up to see Rika. "Well, I think it was something to do with one of my dad's old acquaintances. It was the day after I got my Digivice and Terriermon. He came for a visit while I was having my martial arts lesson. I remember bumping into him just as I came back. He must have dropped the card. I probably just threw it in one of my old card piles." "Yeah...well at least we have some sort of starting point on the blue card that just popped up and helped dino boy and the rabbit digivolve to their ultimate forms."  
  
Takato narrowed his eyes slightly. "What's wrong with her now? She's been like that since you found that blue card." Henry shrugged. "I'm guessing that she's a bit more confused about this blue card business than we are. She's probably wondering why we got the card but not her."   
  
Izzy walked in the door, carrying a few boxes. Upamon started bouncing up and down with more energy than ever. "BENTO BOXES!!!!" he shrieked. Izzy placed the food down on a table. "Didn't Cody teach you the lesson about how patience is a virtue?" Upamon tried to bounce onto the table where the food lay. "Well, you do get very hungry when the only thing you think about for a few hours is food and who's beating up who on the rooftop."  
  
************  
  
'Every time we encounter the Digidestined and their new allies, we get defeated. Even if we change our plans, they still manage to defeat us. What we really need is a plan that can carry through regardless of the obstacles thrown in the way.' Arukenimon sat back in the seat while Mummymon kept driving. Mummymon gave a tired sigh. "With the amount of power those new kids are packing, we're going to need an army to beat them!!"  
  
A sly smile came across Arukenimon's face. 'Why didn't I think of using this earlier?' She pulled out a flute. 'With this, I can summon an army of insect Digimon to destroy the Digidestined and those other kids...regardless of whether they have the edge in skill and valor. In the end, only sheer numbers will matter. But they are probably aware of the flute's properties. If they see it, they will try to destroy it.' "Stop right here, Mummymon." The other Digimon slammed his foot on the brakes. Arukenimon stepped out of the vehicle and looked at the control spire towering over her. "Spirit Needle!!"  
  
************  
  
"At this rate, all the control spires will be out of commission within the next few days!! Ready to get to work, Veemon?" Davis clutched his D3. Veemon held up his hands. "Wait!! Can I talk to you about something? It's been bothering me a little bit for some time." Davis raised an eyebrow. "Sure thing, buddy."  
  
"I was curious about how this whole love thing works with you humans. What do you do after you realize you're in love? How do you get the other person to return those feelings? What do you do to get someone to open up to you?" A sly smile made its way across the boy's face. He pointed a finger straight at Veemon's nose. "You're in love?!? That's great!! Who's the lucky girl...um...Digimon?"   
  
Veemon started to mentally panic. "It's nobody!! I swear!!! I'm just curious because you oggle Kari all the time!!" Now it was the boy's turn to mentally panic. "Alright!! I won't ask about this crush of yours yet. The first thing you want to do is to get close to the girl. As a friend of course. That's where I am with Kari. We'll be friends but it'll gradually turn into love...I can see it now..." "Davis!!!" He gave a sheepish laugh before continuing. "After you establish being a friend, you start to pay special attention. June constantly rants about how guys have to pay special attention or get dumped."  
  
'I don't even know if Renamon would like that type of special attention.' The D terminal started to beep. Davis took it out to read the message. "'Izzy's detected some strange readings near Ken's old base. We're on our way to investigate. Meet us there as soon as you can. Cody.' Sorry but we have to get going. Digi Armor Energize!!"  
  
Raidramon kept running towards where the others were headed but when he got there, all he saw were the other Digidestined battling an army of insect Digimon. The tamers had not yet reached the area. Davis hopped off. "I think you should go back to your rookie form and digivolve to champion level. It'll be easier for you to handle this swarm!!" Raidramon changed back into Veemon. "Veemon digivolved to...Exveemon!!"  
  
The tamers had just got the message and were heading their way to the base when someone yelled out from nowhere. "Hell's Grenade!!" "Gargomon!! Heads up!!" The rabbit Digimon moved to another position before the grenade exploded. Takato looked at the huge Digimon in front of them. It almost looked like a spider except it has six legs. Gold claws appeared out of its red feet at the end of each leg. It's body is red and white with gold spikes. The head looked almost cybernetic. Calumon looked in awe. "That thing looks ugly!!"  
  
Henry took out his Digivice. "Infermon, an ultimate level Digimon. Hell's Grenade gives it superior fire power over other ultimate Digimon. Its Cocoon attack traps his opponents and weakens them so it can deliver the final blow....what the...?" Rika shot a glare at the other boy. "What's the hold up?!" Henry looked at the Digimon before him. "According to the Digivice, he's neither a data, virus or vaccine Digimon." "WHAT?!?"   
  
"Bunny Pummel!!" Gargomon delivered an uppercut attack to the other Digimon. "Cocoon!!!" A beam came out of nowhere and hit Gargomon, encasing him inside a cocoon. Henry gasped. "Gargomon!!" "Pyro Blaster!!" Infermon barely noticed Growlmon's attack. "Fox Tail Inferno!!!" Kyubimon's fireballs did little damage.  
  
"Digi Modify!! Expansion Activate!!" The cocoon remained intact as if nothing happened at all. "How are we supposed to beat this guy? Without a specific attribute, we won't be able to figure out which tactics to use!!" Rika clenched her fists. Takato sorted through his cards and picked one out. "Let's try and crack that cocoon!! Digi Modify!! Berserk Sword Activate!!"  
  
A sword appeared in Growlmon's hands. He charged towards the cocoon and gave a giant slash. A small crack appeared in the side of the cocoon. "Hell's Grenade!!" Growlmon had to move back. "Dragon Wheel!!" Infermon gave a mighty leap and prepared to attack. "Cocoon!!!" "Digi Modify!! Hyperspeed Activate!!" Kyubimon got out of the beam's way.   
  
The D terminal began to beep. Takato took his out and prepared to send a "we've got our hands full" message when he gave a startled gasp at the message. "'An army of insect Digimon is attacking us. Stingmon's under the spell too. It must be that white haired witch that we saw just before the swarm came in. Can't hold off this many much longer. We need help!! Yolei.' Guys, we need to finish this Digimon off. Fast!!" Rika reached into her pouch for another card. 'Regardless of their flaws, they have proven to be reliable allies. I must return the favour by helping them in their time of need.'  
  
The card she took out shone brightly before transforming into a blue card. She gave a small grin. "Kyubimon, it's time to kick it up a notch!!" Kyubimon smiled when she saw her partner's confidence in herself be restored. Calumon's mark began to glow red. "Digi Modify!!! Matrix Digivolution Activate!!" A red beam of energy burst from Calumon's forehead and hit Kyubimon.  
  
MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION.... "Kyubimon digivolved to...Taomon!!"  
  
Takato looked at the new Digimon in amazement. "Taomon, an ultimate level Digimon. Data type. Her Thousand Spells and Talisman of Light banish evil Digimon into oblivion." "Thousand Spells!!" Red slips of paper shot out from Taomon's sleeve to hit the cocoon. The cocoon cracked some more before shattering. Henry gasped at what happened to Gargomon. He had black fur instead of his usual green and brown fur instead of white. His pants also became a bit darker. "Whoa...let's not do that again..." moaned the champion level Digimon.  
  
Takato gave a start. "What's wrong with him?" Henry checked his Digivice. "Blackgargomon. Champion level, vaccine Digimon. The only change is that his resistance against attacks from Digimon using the powers of darkness has increased. I guess he got this way from his data having to develop a resistance against Infermon's cocoon." Blackgargomon turned around and fired his Gargo Laser.   
  
"Thousand Spells!!" The mark hit Infermon and sent him back. "We got him on the ropes!! Let's finish this off so we can help the others!!" Henry and Takato both nodded at the same time. "Digi Modify!! Viral Boost Chip Activate!!" Growlmon unleashed his Pyro Blaster. "Digi Modify!! Power Activate!!" "Eat this!! Gargo Laser!!"   
  
Taomon floated in front of Infermon. She drew out a long paintbrush from one of her sleeves. "Talisman of Light!!!" The last thing Infermon saw was Taomon and the incoming blue energy symbol. "Now that Infermon's out of the way, we can get to the base!! Digi Modify!! Hyperspeed Activate!!"   
  
"Look out!!" TK tackled Ken to the ground just as a Twin Sickle attack went overhead. "Spiking Strike!!" Exveemon was hit in the face just after dodging an attack from a Flymon. "Hang in there, Exveemon!!" Arukenimon kept playing her flute while Mummymon watched. "This is your most exciting performance yet, my dear!!" A red blur ran by them and snatched the flute. Growlmon stopped and snapped the flute in half. The tamers caught up with them. "They got past Infermon!!" The insect Digimon stopped their attack and looked around in confusion.  
  
"What do we do?!?" Rika gave a cold smile. "You become deleted by Taomon. Fairly simple, don't you think?" Taomon raised her giant paintbrush. Arukenimon and Mummymon transformed to the battle forms. "Snake Bandage!!" "Spider Thread!!" Taomon had to dodge both of their attacks.   
  
"Talisman of Light!!" They barely got out of the way. Arukenimon quickly noticed the amount of control spires around the base. "Spirit Needle!!" The control spires fused together to create Cherrymon. "Illusion Mist!!" Everyone had to back away. Mummymon fired his gun from inside while Arukenimon tangled up Blackgargomon.   
  
"What are they doing? They already lost this battle..." Henry didn't understand it until his D terminal started to beep. He opened it to check the message. "'The instability at the Digimon Emperor's former base has magnified!! At this rate, the collapse of the digital world is imminent unless the power source is shut down!! Izzy.' Now I get it!! They're trying to stall us!! We have to go to the base and destroy the power source!!" The Digidestined nodded and headed towards the base.   
  
"Not so fast!!" Mummymon fired an energy blast from his gun and hit Ken. "Aaauuuughh!!" "Ken!! No!!!" Stingmon flew in to attack Mummymon but it was hard to see inside the mist. Davis ran over to help Ken. He grabbed his hand to try and pull him out of the shot's path but he started to feel the effects as well. "Leave me!! I have to find my way out myself!!" "No way, Ken!! You're part of the team and we're in this together, whether you like this or not!!" Their Digivices started glowing simultaneously.  
  
"Exveemon..."  
"..Stingmon..."  
"...DNA digivolved to...Paildramon!!"   
  
"Huh?" Paildramon came in and blocked the shot. "See how you like it!! Desperado Blaster!!" Mummymon had to retreat back into the mist. Rika pulled out a card. "Now for the grand finale...Digi Modify!! Wargreymon's Terra Force Activate!!" Taomon formed a giant ball of energy and tossed it down with all her might. "Terra Force!!"   
  
Arukenimon and Mummymon got out in time but Cherrymon wasn't that lucky. "It doesn't matter that we lost the battle. You're too late to save the digital world!!" Arukenimon fired an Acid Mist attack to provide cover for the getaway. Rika was about to go after them when Takato called out her name. "Rika!! We got other problems to deal with!! Let them go!!"  
  
The other Digidestined kids had already ran over to the base with their tired Digimon partners, except for Paildramon. Ken inserted his Crest of Kindness inside the wall where the Kindness logo was carved. They waited to get the all clear from Izzy. Instead they got the 'it's not enough' message.   
  
"We need to eradicate the power source!! Using the Crest isn't enough!" Ken noticed the pipelines. "Paildramon, clear us a path in the direction of the pipelines!!" "Sure thing!!" Paildramon flew over to smash down the obstructing obstacles. When the kids reached the core, Henry gave a start. There was a small object, spherical at the top and covered with bits of silver and what looked like veins. 'What is the Digiegg of Darkness doing here?!?' Takato and Rika gave similar looks.   
  
"Let's put an end to this!! Desperado Blaster!!" The energy discharge destroyed the power core in a few moments. A blast of purple energy from the Crest of Kindness came out of a wall and hit the Digiegg of Darkness. It dissipated almost immediately. The energy started to take on a form. "It's the...Digiegg of Kindness!" murmured Takato. Ken slowly approached the Digiegg and held it gently. It disappeared into his D terminal.   
  
The tamers went off to another area while Paildramon prepared to destroy the base. "Now what? We destroyed the flute so Arukenimon can't summon an army of insect Digimon. The control spires are too scattered to create Blackwargreymon..."  
  
Henry crossed his arms. "Still, she is very crafty. She'll throw something at us that may take some time to deal with." Rika rolled her eyes. "Like what? The Dark Masters? Please..." Blackgargomon had transformed back to his rookie form. Terriermon had his usual white and green look.   
  
"Besides...she's not our only problem." Takato stretched his arms and yawned. "We know about Malomyotismon. We'll figure out a way to deal with him." Henry shook his head. "I'm talking about Daemon and his minions. How are they going to react to our arrival?" The tamers stood in silence as an explosion erupted from behind them.  
  
  
I'm sorry for taking so long...but I'm probably going to be slower when exams roll in. Oh boy...here's the trivia question of the day.  
  
In the 12 year cycle of the Chinese zodiac, which position is the animal the Hindus consider to be sacred positioned in?  
  
Please write your vote ALONG with your correct answer. I can't stress that enough. To be honest, only the pre-Juggernaut people have followed the rules correctly. Anyways, I've started planning out a storyline for pre-Juggernaut but there's still a chance for a last minute upset. So get those votes in!!!!! By the way, Terriermon's been acting like a jerk since Henry didn't teach him proper etiquette yet. Also I don't have plans on writing a chapter in the Giga House since the tamers know the enemy already and can tell the Digidestined. As for Daemon, I haven't figured out what to do yet but I'll think of something. 


	16. Second Configuration, Section Six

Author's Notes: Hindus consider the cow to be sacred and do not eat beef. The cow is second on the 12 year cycle. We have a winner!!! Pre-Juggernaut is on the way!  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 2.6  
  
"Daemon and his minions appeared after the Digimon World Tour took place. We don't know what he did during the time before he tried to get the dark spore from Oikawa. Come to think of it, he practically has the perfect opportunity to grab Ken since he can take care of Arukenimon and Mummymon no problem and Oikawa can't enter the digital world..." Takato trailed off for a moment.   
  
"He's no ordinary mega Digimon you know. He probably knows the way the powers of darkness work. Since he arrived late in the season, we have to assume he is waiting for something or regenerating," stated Henry. Rika crossed her arms. "Let's go get him. He has three ultimate level Digimon as his minions. The three of us can obtain ultimate level. Plus we got Paildramon. With the ultimates out of the way, it'll be a disabled Daemon versus several armored and champion Digimon."  
  
Henry narrowed his eyes. "Don't underestimate him. The only way the Digidestined could defeat him was to seal him in the Dark World with Ken's D3 opening the gate. Imperialdramon had barely enough power to hold him off...and he was in his fighter mode. We deal with Daemon when he arrives. By then, we should have a few megas up our sleeve."   
  
"Hey guys!! Are you coming with us or not?" The meeting ended with Davis yelling at them. The Digidestined were ready to leave. Ken had already gone in another direction to open a Digiport to his house. Terriermon jumped on Henry's head while Calumon sat on Guilmon.   
  
"For the past several days, those annoying pests have foiled each and every one of my plans!! Everything I have tried does not work!! That's it. I'm going to make a mega Digimon to crush all of them!!" Mummymon started to panic. "Wait!! You can't control a mega Digimon!!"  
  
Arukenimon gave a scowl. "As long as that mega Digimon destroys the Digidestined, the other kids and the entire digital world, I don't care if it decides to become a waiter in a restaurant!! The boss wants to get to the digital world. Since this version of it won't let him in, we'll destroy it to make way for a digital world that will suit his taste. Let's go to the mountain area. I'm sure there are enough control spires there to create a suitable mega Digimon."  
  
Her face fell when she saw how many control spires the tamers had destroyed. "They destroyed thirty control spires in this area!! That only leaves seventy left...and I need at least seventy-five control spires to create any type of mega Digimon!! There's another clump of control spires in the west but they're too far away! By the time we get there, they will be the only control spires left at the rate those kids are working."  
  
"So you can't create a mega Digimon. Big deal...I guess you can create a powerful Digimon at the ultimate level. That way, you are still in control. Now, we need an ultimate level Digimon that they won't expect," said Mummymon. "Like what? Every new Digimon we throw at them gets analyzed and dealt with according to their data!!" snapped Arukenimon.  
  
Mummymon started to wail. "I don't know what to do! The only time I've seen their Digivices mess up was when the red dinosaur became black!!" A cold smile formed on Arukenimon's face. "And we did see the ultimate form of that red dinosaur. I believe we have found a winner..."  
  
************  
  
"Terriermon...how did it feel when you changed into Blackgargomon? Was it different than being Gargomon?" Terriermon rested on Henry's head as they headed towards TK's apartment. "I didn't feel different. All I knew was that I looked...wicked. The black fur gave me class, Henry!! The brown fur was more of a decorative thing." Henry chuckled. "Just don't keep bragging about how classy you looked."  
  
"He'll be bragging about his new look tomorrow. I guarantee it," stated Patamon. Terriermon looked up. "No way!! Henry asked me not to brag about it so I'll keep quiet!!" Patamon gave a sly smile. "Let's make a bet on this. If you can keep quiet, you can raid the cafeteria alone on the next day of school. It'll practically be your buffet for the day. If you can't..." "Patamon, enough of this nonsense," said TK sharply.  
  
"What's got you worked up, TK?" The boy pulled Patamon close so he could whisper in the Digimon's ear. "I'm concerned about Terriermon. Who really knows what happened inside Infermon's cocoon? Did Terriermon really develop that resistance or did he become infused with the powers of darkness?"  
  
"Well, Terriermon feels fine. Like he says, TK, momentai!!" TK couldn't shake off the feeling. "If he could become Blackgargomon, he could probably become the dark version of his ultimate form. Maybe even mega. The powers of darkness may magnify every time he digivolves. He may be in control now but what about in his ultimate form? Mega form? We have to keep an eye out on him, Patamon."   
  
************  
  
"Break time!! I've got drinks for everybody!!" Yolei brought out a cooler filled with drinks. The Digidestined and the tamers have resumed destroying as many control spires as they could. Takato took off his goggles to wipe his forehead. "It's kind of weird but Machinedramon was right all those years ago. There's nothing like a little destruction to end a hard day's work." Davis laughed. The others eyed both him and Takato strangely. "Moron," muttered Rika as she grabbed a can of soda.   
  
Cody sat off at one end drinking his beverage. Ken went to destroy control spires somewhere else with Stingmon. Davis gave a sigh. "Man, Ken and Cody aren't getting along too well. If we're going to function as a team, everybody should be able to feel comfortable around each other." Takato came up behind him. "You should let them be. They'll start being more friendly to each other eventually."  
  
"Still, I should do something to try and speed things up. Maybe if I can do something that will have them mutually agree to do something together..." Takato started thinking. "Well, they could destroy a control spire together...no, wait that didn't work. Um..." Henry cleared his throat loudly. "We should be going back to work in a few minutes."  
  
Takato took another sip when he felt the ground shake for a moment. "What was that?" Henry looked around. "I don't know...but it felt like it came from the mountain area where we worked on before Cyberdramon attacked!!" Takato narrowed his eyes. "You wouldn't think that Arukenimon would be trying to create Blackwargreymon, would you? We knocked over a lot of control spires!!" Rika crushed her can. "Whatever it is, me and Renamon can handle it!!" Hearing her cue, the fox Digimon stood by, ready to fight. "Digi Modify!!! Digivolution Activate!!" Calumon was enjoying his drink and commenting on how fizzly it felt in his mouth when the mark above his head glowed red.  
  
DIGIVOLUTION.... "Renamon digivolved to...Kyubimon!"   
  
"Let's get going!!" Rika hopped on Kyubimon's back and the two were racing off towards the mountain. Henry sighed. "That impulsiveness will get her into trouble one day. Listen up everyone!! We going to check things out over there. I want all the Digimon to power up and be ready for anything. Call Ken too in case we need Paildramon." Takato took out a card. "Guilmon, put down that can! We have to do something!" Guilmon gave a belch thanks to the carbonated drink settling down inside. "Digi Modify!! Digivolution Activate!!"  
  
DIGIVOLUTION.... "Guilmon digivolved to...Growlmon!!"   
  
Henry quickly scooped up Calumon before heading over to where Growlmon was standing. Takato waited for a moment before sliding another card through his Digivice. "Digi Modify!! Hyperwing Activate!!" Wings grew out from Growlmon's back. He took off in the air with Henry, Takato, Calumon and Terriermon on his back. Davis grabbed his D3. "It'll take Ken some time to get to the area. You might as well armor-digivolve since Flamedramon's the better fighter." Cody and Yolei took out their D3s as well. Kari and TK gave an agreeing nod. "Digi Armor Energize!!"  
  
"Patamon armor-digivolved to...Pegasusmon, Flying Hope!!"  
"Gatomon armor-digivolved to...Nefertimon, the Angel of Light!!"  
"Veemon armor-digivolved to...Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!!"  
"Armadillomon digivolved to...Ankylomon!!"  
"Hawkmon digivolved to...Aquilamon!!"  
  
When Rika and Kyubimon arrived, they could see several control spires dissipating into data and forming together. She got off the champion level Digimon. "Stay alert, Kyubimon." The fox Digimon patiently waited for the new control spire Digimon to appear. "She's all by herself!! Let's get her!! Snake Bandage!!" Kyubimon looked up to see Mummymon's attack. "Dragon Wheel!!"  
  
Mummymon took out his big gun while Arukenimon stood behind him in her battle form as well. Rika gave a smirk. "So you two want to play? Alright...Digi Modify!! Boost Chip Activate!!" Kyubimon's tails spread apart. "Fox Tail Inferno!!" The fireballs forced the two ultimates to go back.   
  
"Rika!!" The other tamers had just caught up to her. Henry and Takato looked up to see the control spire data gather together to take a form on top of the mountain. "What is she making? It can't be Blackwargreymon!!" Henry took out a card along with his Digivice. "Terriermon, it's time to join the fight! Digi Modify!! Digivolution Activate!!"  
  
DIGIVOLUTION.... "Terriermon digivolved to...Gargomon!"  
  
"At least you're back to your normal green and white self." Gargomon gave a smile. "What did I say, Henry? Momentai." "It's almost done!!" The tamers looked up to see the dark being above. He jumped off and started to land slowly. Takato gave a start. "It's...you gotta be kidding...it looks just like Wargrowlmon!!" His mid torso area is completely grey. He had black skin and gold stripes in replacement of the usual red and black. His blades looked a bit more dull and he had yellow hair.   
  
"All this fuss was over an ultimate level Digimon?!? You two are more pathetic than I thought!! Let's take that freak down, Kyubimon!!" Kyubimon gave a small chuckle. "This shouldn't take long." Henry started to speak. "Rika, wait!!" The two of them had already started to charge the ultimate level Digimon. Arukenimon and Mummymon prepared to attack but Growlmon and Gargomon tackled them.  
  
"Takato? Takato!!" The boy snapped out of his thoughts to face Henry. "Since your Digivice was able to pick up data on Wargrowlmon, you should be able to pick up data on this dark version as well!! It's probably because of your connection as the original creator!" Takato forced himself to pull together and pulled out his Digivice. After a few moments, his Digivice started giving statistics. "Blackwargrowlmon. Ultimate level, cyborg Digimon. Virus type..."  
  
"What?" Skullsatamon looked at his master curiously. "What have you sensed, master?" The demonic mega Digimon tried to concentrate on the new being. "I have felt another Digimon tap into the powers of darkness. But this one was like the other...they are not native to the digital world at all. And yet they still carry the same basic digital code found in all Digimon."  
  
Marinedevimon and Ladydevimon approached Daemon. "What do you see this time?" asked Marinedevimon. Daemon recalled what he had seen. "He is an ultimate level Digimon of no other in the digital world. And I sense that if he should reach his mega form, he will gain immense power. The rabbit Digimon has great potential as well. His resistance against any type of attack will increase considerably should he reach mega form." He paused. "Two Digimon that do not belong here tapping into the powers of darkness...this is intriguing. This requires an investigation."   
  
Kyubimon kept charging towards Blackwargrowlmon. His chest plate started to spark with black energy as he started gathering power for his attack. Rika took out a card. 'I better give her the type advantage, just in case.' "Digi Modify!! Vaccine Conversion Activate!!" (AN: original Japanese is Light Training Manual, I think)   
  
Takato's Digivice started to give descriptions. "...according to this, his blades are made out of a material that is supposed to be stronger than any known alloy in the digital world. That's why his Radiation Edge attack is so strong."  
  
The other Digidestined came out from behind. "I thought Ken would have made it by now!" exclaimed Davis. Growlmon and Gargomon were tangled up by Arukenimon and Mummymon. Before they could give the final blow, Nefertimon and Pegasusmon formed a Golden Noose to tie Growlmon and Gargomon up so they could get them to safety.   
  
"Fox Tail Inferno!!" Blackwargrowlmon had finished powering up. "Atomic Destroyer!!" Rika saw him fire his energy beam. "Look out!!" Her warning came too late. "Kyubimon!! No!!!" The next thing they knew, they saw her in the path of Blackwargrowlmon's beam. It looked like that she was struggling to keep all of her data together. (AN: Kind of like when she fought Mihiramon in episode 15) Flamedramon tossed three fireballs. "Fire Rocket!!" The attack hit Blackwargrowlmon in the top of his face, distracting him long enough to stop firing the beam. Kyubimon collapsed and transformed back into Renamon. Rika ran over to check on her.  
  
"Just what was that?!?" Takato looked at what his Digivice displayed to him. "His Atomic Destroyer attack is composed only with negatively charged ions. They attract and repel the positive and negatively charged ions of any enemy that he hits. At full power, he can literally rip their molecular structure apart. He has a special compartment inside his chest plate that protects him from the beam while controlling it at the same time. This attack can only affect solid forms of matter."  
  
"Wait a second!! How can the beam even exist? I remember in chemistry class that opposites attract while same charges repel each other. If the beam consists of only negatively charged ions, then how can they stay together? They'll dissipate as soon as they come out!" Drops of sweat rolled down Henry's face. "Yolei, this is the digital world. Scientific laws can be bent, maybe even broken here. For example, the laws of gravity didn't have an effect on Myotismon's castle."  
  
Blackwargrowlmon gave a snarl as he started powering up again. Flamedramon leapt in to attack. With a gigantic kick, Flamedramon was sent crashing back down right beside Renamon and Rika. "Rika!! Renamon!! Flamedramon!! You have to get out of there or else Blackwargrowlmon's going to blast you with his Atomic Destroyer!!!"  
  
Rika got an unconscious Renamon up and started to drag her away. Flamedramon was barely able to get up when he heard Blackwargrowlmon yell out his attack. "Atomic Destroyer!!!" He, as well as the other tamers and the Digidestined, looked on in horror as the beam headed directly towards Rika and Renamon.  
  
  
For the cliffhanger, I was originally thinking of something else but then it would kind of be a wee bit too predictable. In my opinion of course. I've already got a way to introduce the pre-Juggernaut story so it's on the way. I've figured out what to do with Daemon...sort of. As for using Megidramon, I have no plans yet. Besides, I want to see how he turns out on the series when Fox and YTV resumes airing new episodes. That's it for now. Later! 


	17. Second Configuration, Section Seven

Author's Notes: With exams around the corner, I've got to hit the books and slow down my writing pace. I will try and write as much as I can but it may take time to get the next chapter out.  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 2.7  
  
"Atomic Destroyer!!!" The beam headed directly towards Rika and Renamon. Flamedramon tried to move but his body still needed time to recover from Blackwargrowlmon's attack. "Coming through!!" Stingmon flew by and scooped Rika and Renamon into his arms. The energy beam kept sailing into the sky and eventually hit one of the giant blocks at Primary Village. Ken ran up and gasped at the new dark Digimon before him. "What the...?"  
  
"Hey, Flamedramon!! Are you okay?" Davis helped Flamedramon stand up. "You should digivolve to your champion form so you can DNA digivolve into Paildramon and take down this new control spire Digimon!!" The armored Digimon transformed back into Veemon. "Okay, Davis! I just need a bit of time to catch my breath." The rookie Digimon sat down and started panting heavily. Stingmon placed Rika and Renamon beside Takato before flying off again.   
  
Aquilamon and Ankylomon were having a tough time holding off Arukenimon and Mummymon. "Star Shower!!" "Rosetta Stone!!" Nefertimon and Pegasusmon had dropped off Gargomon and Growlmon near the male tamers before coming back to help their comrades. Ankylomon got up. "Tail Hammer!!" Both ultimate Digimon got out of the way just in time.  
  
Growlmon and Gargomon stepped forward to confront Blackwargrowlmon. "Hey...this guy kind of looks familiar!!" exclaimed Gargomon. Growlmon just stared at how closely that other Digimon resembled someone. "Growlmon!! You have to fight this guy!! He's made out of control spires and he's dangerous!!"  
  
That was all the reason Growlmon needed to engage the enemy. "Pyro Blaster!!!" Blackwargrowlmon simply blocked it with one of his blades. "Spiking Strike!!" Stingmon flew in for the attack but it was easily parried. Davis gritted his teeth. "Are you ready to go?" Veemon got up, feeling a lot better than he did a few moments ago. "Veemon digivolved to...Exveemon!!" Ken took out his D3. "Let's do this, Stingmon!!"  
  
"Exveemon..."  
"...Stingmon..."  
"...DNA digivolved to...Paildramon!!"  
  
"Alright!! Now it should be a little more even!!" cheered Davis. He noticed that neither Takato or Henry were cheering along. "Loosen up, guys!! Paildramon is an ultimate, just like Blackwargrowlmon. We can take this guy!!!" Slowly, Henry broke the silence. "Paildramon may be at Blackwargrowlmon's level but he has a type disadvantage. He's a data while Blackwargrowlmon is a virus. He also lacks the amount of firepower that Blackwargrowlmon has."  
  
Takato spoke next. "Not to mention his defensive capabilities. I remember giving Guilmon the ability to resist attacks belonging to any Digimon at champion level or below. With Growlmon, that armor included ultimate level Digimon. If he is at ultimate, I would have to assume he could resist the attacks of even mega Digimon. And Blackwargrowlmon is practically a dark duplicate of the original."  
  
Davis turned his focus back to the battle. To his dismay, Paildramon's Desperado Blaster attack was not having an effect at all. "Change of plan!! Try a close range attack!!" yelled Ken. Spikes came out from from the top parts of Paildramon's hands. "Sting Strike!!" Blackwargrowlmon simply kept parrying them as if they were nothing. "Radiation Edge!!" The blade became infused with his dark energy and he gave a vicious slash, breaking off both spikes from Paildramon. "Aaaauuuuggghhhhh!!!!!!" One powerful kick later, Paildramon was sent flying into the mountain.   
  
"Excellent job, Blackwargrowlmon. Now destroy the rest of these pests!!!" Arukenimon dodged Aquilamon's Blast Ring attack. Mummymon fired his gun, forcing Nefertimon and Pegasusmon to move back. Before Blackwargrowlmon could do anything, Gargomon leapt in to deliver a Bunny Pummel. Blackwargrowlmon quickly powered up and shot out another Atomic Destroyer straight out into the air where Gargomon had to make an aerial recovery after his attack. It sailed right over him and hit an unsuspecting Kuwagamon who was just flying by. A piercing scream echoed throughout the area before the Digimon dissipated into data.   
  
But nobody, not even the tamers, had anticipated what would happen next. Rika stared in shock at what Blackwargrowlmon was doing. "He...he...he downloaded that Digimon's data into himself!!" Henry started to sweat. "Arukenimon actually duplicated the download mechanism?! That means Blackwargrowlmon can become stronger by downloading Digimon!! The higher the level of the Digimon, the more power he gains by downloading their data!!"   
  
After he had finished downloading Kuwagamon's data, Blackwargrowlmon turned to finish off Paildramon so he could download additional data but instead, all he saw were two tired baby Digimon. Ken and Davis ran over to scoop them up. He then stared at Arukenimon and Mummymon, who were fighting off several of the Digimon belonging to the Digidestined. "Spider Thread!!"  
  
Mummymon stepped back and bumped right into Blackwargrowlmon. "What are you standing there for? Destroy the rest of the Digidestined and those other kids!!" The cyborg Digimon gave a chuckle. "I'm saving them for later. However, you and your female partner are the only other ultimates here other than myself. I should acquire your data first." Mummymon started to panic. "Acquire our data?!? Have you gone mad?!?!?"  
  
Arukenimon just heard what Blackwargrowlmon had in store for them. She quickly moved to another area where the other Digimon can't aim so easily. 'Perhaps using an unknown ultimate level Digimon was not a good idea. Especially with the unknown variables. I better dispose of him.' Explosions rang out nearby as a result of the group attack but Arukenimon was able to stay in one piece. 'I'm not getting anything!!! I can't activate the self-destruct mechanism in the fibre!! He must have created an override code of some sort!! But how?'   
  
Henry ran up to Gargomon. "Are you alright?" Gargomon got up and tried to shake the dizziness away. "Yeah...what the-" The rabbit Digimon looked around. He swore he could have seen something out of the corner of his eye. "Did you see something, Gargomon?" The champion level Digimon started running towards an area. Henry could do nothing except follow him.  
  
Takato started searching through his card pile. 'I've got to stop this guy!!! It's because of me he came to life!!! It's all my fault...I can't think like that! The only way this could have happened is if Arukenimon saw Wargrowlmon!! Since I helped create him in some way, it's my duty to take him down!!' One of his cards glowed a gentle blue before it changed into the blue card. A grin formed on the boy's face. "Now we have a fighting chance!! Digi Modify!! Matrix Digivolution Activate!!"  
  
MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION.... "Growlmon digivolved to...Wargrowlmon!!!"  
  
Calumon's ears spread out. "Let the games begin!!" "What's this?" Blackwargrowlmon turned around and barely dodged Wargrowlmon's blade. "It's time for you to hit the road, you copycat!!" yelled Takato. He took out another card. "Digi Modify!!! Power Activate!!" Wargrowlmon attacked with his blades. Blackwargrowlmon kept dodging the attacks until he brought forth his own blade to meet his opponent's. Sparks flew as the two blades clashed together.  
  
"Where did it go? I knew it went to this direction!!" Gargomon and Henry had ran into a dark area of a dense forest. It seemed to be quiet until Gargomon was sent flying back into a tree. "Gargomon!! Are you okay?" Gargomon got up and looked around again. "Oof!!!" Something hit him from behind. Before Gargomon could fire his Gargo Laser, he got hit again on the side. Henry could barely see a blur circling around Gargomon and hitting him. "Digi Modify!! Speed Activate!!" Regardless of the additional speed, Gargomon could not catch up to that blur. He kept taking heavy beats until his fur flashed for a moment and he disappeared.   
  
"Digi Modify!! Viral Boost Chip Activate!!" Wargrowlmon slashed again but with greater strength. Blackwargrowlmon had to move back and up the mountain in order to compensate for his recoil whenever he blocked one of Wargrowlmon's blades. Wargrowlmon took off into the air and prepared to circle around low. Blackwargrowlmon started to power up an Atomic Destroyer.   
  
Henry gasped at what just happened. "Gargomon!!!!" The only answer Henry received was silence until he heard someone yell "Bunny Pummel!!" Something red crashed onto the ground. Henry went pale. "Skullsatamon!! That means that Daemon can't be too far behind!! Gargomon, we..." He trailed off when he saw what happened to his friend. His fur had gone black and brown again. "Blackgargomon?" The rabbit Digimon grinned. "You were expecting someone else?"  
  
"How did you...?" "I just kept thinking that if I could go into stealth, I could find out who's been beating me up for free. Then I just did it and saw the red guy hiding behind a tree." Skullsatamon got up and shook off the effects of the attack. Henry looked at the red Digimon. "We have to get going!! He's an ultimate level Digimon!!" Blackgargomon didn't pay attention. "Gargo Laser!!"   
  
Skullsatamon twirled his staff around, deflecting the energy beams. "This guy was able to take down Imperialdramon!! And he's a vaccine mega Digimon!!! If it wasn't for his fighter mode, he would have been toast!!! We have to rejoin the others!! They probably need our help against Blackwargrowlmon!!" Blackgargomon fired a burst shot, creating a cloud of dust to surround Skullsatamon. "Let's get going then!!" "Digi Modify!! Hyperspeed Activate!!" As they made their escape, Skullsatamon started to fan away the dust. 'That boy...what does he know about me? The more important question is how much does he know about the master?'  
  
"Snake Bandage!!" Aquilamon dodged the attack. Yolei clenched her fists. "That's the way to do it!! Now go in there and give it all you got!!" "Got it!! Grand Horn!!!" Mummymon fired his gun. The energy blast knocked Aquilamon off course. Ankylomon swung his heavy tail. "Tail Hammer!!" Mummymon ducked and fired another round. "Golden Noose!!" Pegasusmon and Nefertimon tried to tie up Arukenimon but she moved too fast for them to get a good lock. "Spider Thread!!"  
  
"Atomic Destroyer!!" Blackwargrowlmon fired the beam directly at Wargrowlmon. "Atomic Blaster!!!" A beam of red energy erupted from Wargrowlmon's chest plate and collided with the dark energy beam. It seemed to be a standstill. Takato took out a card, hoping that Wargrowlmon's energy blast would increase in power. "Digi Modify!! Black Gear Activate!!" Slowly, the red energy beam started to push the black one back up. Takato watched the battle intensely. Rika sat nearby but she was trying to help Renamon recover from her fight.  
  
Blackwargrowlmon stopped firing his energy beam. Wargrowlmon's beam was headed directly towards his opponent. He quickly dodged to the left and fired whatever charge had built up for those few seconds. Wargrowlmon barely got out of the beam's path. It continued for some distance until it hit a control spire that was tucked away in the mountain. The beam instantly destroyed the spire. Blackwargrowlmon started glowing. The data from the spire soared into the air and became absorbed by Blackwargrowlmon.   
  
Rika had a look of utter surprise. "You gotta be kidding me...first he can download Digimon. Now he can download control spire data as well?!?" Wargrowlmon fired another Atomic Blaster. Blackwargrowlmon placed his arms together like a shield. The attack hit the target but when the dust cleared, there wasn't even a scratch on Blackwargrowlmon.   
  
Takato gasped. "No way!! There should have been a bit of damage, especially with all the additional power ups I keep giving Wargrowlmon!!" Blackwargrowlmon stared at his opponent for a moment. 'There is something missing...it is if I'm only partially complete. My power becomes a little stronger everytime I absorb a Digimon...but it magnifies everytime I absorb one of those black towers.'  
  
Henry had just arrived at the area, thanks to a piggyback ride from Blackgargomon. "Alright!! Where is Blackwargrowlmon? I wanna have a piece of-" Blackgargomon noticed a shadow growing larger underneath him. He moved to the right as a staff tried to hit him. Skullsatamon quickly swung his staff and hit Blackgargomon in the stomach. Henry turned around and gave a gasp of surprise. He quickly shook it off and tried to find a card to help Blackgargomon. "Nail Bone!!!"   
  
"Digi Modify!! Hypersonic Activate!!" Regardless of that extra speed, Skullsatamon still held the upper advantage. Henry kept searching for another card that would help. 'I can't let Daemon jeopardize everything!! If I remember correctly, he wanted to get his hands on Ken because of that dark spore...Millenniumon's spore. That won't happen. Not if I have anything to say about it.' The boy blinked in surprise when he got to the end of the pile. "A blue card..." Calumon bounced right beside Henry. "Whoa...that guy looks scary!!" "Digi Modify!! Matrix Digivolution Activate!!!"  
  
MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION.... "Blackgargomon digivolved to...Spectralrapidmon!!"  
  
Henry took out his D power and analyzed the new Digimon in front of him. "Spectralrapidmon, ultimate level, vaccine Digimon. His speed combined with his black stealth armor makes him the perfect infiltration unit." (AN: I make it a personal policy to restrict my use of the 'black' prefix. I was wondering why the Japanese stuck to Black Galgomon, Black Rapidmon and Black Saint Galgomon. It just got a little stale after a while. Please don't kill me because of this minor detail)   
  
"What's this?!" Skullsatamon stood back defensively. Spectralrapidmon stood there proudly with the sun's rays reflecting off his black armor. Instead of the usual white legs, they were brown. Skullsatamon snarled and went in to attack but stopped suddenly as Spectralrapidmon disappeared from his sight. "Rapid Fire!!" Missiles exploded from behind him and he was sent flying towards where the others were fighting.  
  
He barely made a recovery on the ground. "Hang in there, Leavemon!!" His attention was turned towards the boy who cradled a baby Digimon protectively. "Don't you even think about hurting him!!" He got kicked in the stomach and was sent flying again. Spectralrapidmon started to focus his energy. "Tri Beam!!!!"   
  
The triangle moved quickly towards Skullsatamon. A black energy flash erupted from his position. Henry ran up to his partner. "Did you get him?" Spectralrapidmon narrowed his eyes. "I think so but I wasn't able to see him dissipate. Something else may have interfered just before contact."  
  
"Now that was close," stated Ladydevimon. Skullsatamon leaned wearily against the tree and glared at Ladydevimon. "Why did you save my life? I thought you would have been glad to see me destroyed." Ladydevimon's cruel smile didn't disappear from her face. "I had to keep an eye out for you. Besides, I want to see the master torture you for your failure to abduct one of our new...visitors for analysis before you die."  
  
"What was that explostion?!? Never mind!! Let's go get...huh?" When Takato turned his attention back to Blackwargrowlmon, he was nowhere in sight. Takato clenched his fist. "No!!! He got away!!!" Rika gave a scowl. "Maybe if you paid a little more attention to what was happening in front of you instead of looking at what caused that explosion...you're hopeless, goggle head. I'm surprised that Blackwargrowlmon didn't take this opportunity to finish you off."  
  
"We'll find him. The D power should be able to pick up his signature and we can track him down after we recover from our battle. Let's regroup where the others are fighting Arukenimon and Mummymon." Takato started walking with Wargrowlmon behind him.  
  
'What is Blackwargrowlmon up to? Don't tell me he's searching for the reason he has emotions or something!! It was bad enough when Blackwargreymon did the same thing!! What about the destiny stones? Will he go on a rampage and destroy them all?' Rika was about to start walking with Renamon leaning on her when she heard a small groan. "Renamon!! Are you in one piece?"  
  
"...that ultimate Digimon...no ordinary ultimate...we can't let him reach mega...who knows what powers he will gain.." Renamon started breathing slowly. Rika gently placed her down. "Look...I'm sorry for getting you in such danger. If it wasn't for my reckless attitude, you wouldn't have gotten hurt like this." The fox Digimon gave a small smile. "Your iron will...and thirst for the good fight is...what brought us t-together. It's o-one of your...best qualities..."  
  
"Spider Thread!!" Pegasusmon flew up and prepared to fire another Star Shower when he heard someone yell "Stop!!!!" The Digidestined turned to Takato. "We should weaken these guys and confine them where they can't do anymore harm!!" exclaimed Cody. Takato raised his hand. "No!! They are in this situation as well as us."   
  
Arukenimon was about to attack again when Wargrowlmon slammed her into the mountain. He placed his blade near her neck. "Takatomon wants to say something. You should listen." He glared at Mummymon. The mummy Digimon reluctantly put down his gun. "Don't hurt her!! What do you want to say, kid?" "Traitor!!!" spat Arukenimon.  
  
"That's enough!! We have a bigger problem...Blackwargrowlmon. He apparently has the ability to download Digimon and control spires which can increase his power exponentially. If he continues to absorb all this data, he could reach mega form within a short amount of time. And regardless of our numbers, we can't take out a mega Digimon." TK looked at the other boy. "What do you propose we do, Takato?" Takato drew a deep breath. "We call a truce and work together."  
  
  
Ooohhhh...unexpected plot twist!! I love doing those!!! I have everything planned in my head but it's going to take a long time to get out. More work for me. Hopefully, my writing pace can increase once exams are over. See ya later!! 


	18. Second Configuration, Section Eight

Author's Notes: Recently, there have been some people wanting me to have Takato play Cupid and get Tai and Sora together. I haven't really thought about it but I could put a little something in here. Be warned though...once I write it in here, I probably won't get back to the subject of a Taiora again until at least the sequel.   
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 2.8  
  
Rika grabbed Takato's collar. "Have you lost your mind?!?! An idea of making a truce with the enemy...I always knew that you were a moron but this takes the cake!!" She pushed him back roughly. Takato gave a sigh. Convincing his fellow tamers and the other Digidestined to team up with someone who has been trying to destroy them for the past few days is going to be near impossible.   
  
"It just might be able to work!! Remember when Davis asked Ken to join the Digidestined? The others were opposed to it but eventually they accepted him!!" Henry crossed his arms. "But that was different. Ken is a member of the Digidestined." Takato gave him a look. "In what way? He was pretty bad when he was the Digimon Emperor.But he changed!! I'm thinking we could change Arukenimon and Mummymon for the better too!! The only real challenge would be to convince Arukenimon to get another hobby other than destroying the digital world. Once we do that, it won't be too hard to get Mummymon to do the same. To be honest, I felt that their characters weren't fully maximized. They had empty deaths at the hands of Malomyotismon in episode 48, I believe. Nobody deserves an empty death like that."  
  
"He laid down the conditions for the truce. We don't destroy control spires until the threat has been neutralized. She doesn't make any attempt to destroy us. She also won't plant any more control spires since all they do is power up Blackwargrowlmon. In addition, he made them promise to help fight Blackwargrowlmon since he's our top priority. After they agreed...actually Mummymon agreed for the both of them, Wargrowlmon let them go," finished Cody. Ken narrowed his eyes. "I don't trust her. What makes Takato so sure that she will hold up her end of the bargain?"   
  
Davis clenched his fists. "Ken's right!! I say we take the opportunity and destroy as many control spires as we can!! That should put her out of commission!!! As an added bonus, Blackwargrowlmon won't be able to download those control spires since he won't be near the area!!" Kari looked over to where the three tamers were having their discussion. "He seems so optimistic about Arukenimon and Mummymon. Maybe the time he's been here in the past has him thinking about how we can help change the attitudes of Digimon. Let them get a fresh new start at life."  
  
"With those two? I wouldn't bet on it. They would probably stay out of the way and rebuild their strength before doing anything at all," muttered Yolei. They all quieted down as Takato headed over to their position. "I know you guys have your doubts about this truce but with Blackwargrowlmon being a threat to their operation, his downloading capabilities and his unpredictability, they will have to cooperate with us in order to shut him down!!"   
  
************  
  
"I know that you're angry with me right now," started Mummymon as he drove the vehicle. "But to be honest, using a Digimon that we haven't encountered except with those...um...what did they call them...tamers. Anyways, using a Digimon that belong to those tamers as a template for a control spire Digimon wasn't such a good idea, especially-" Arukenimon turned her head sharply. "Oh, will you shut up already? I really don't want to hear this babbling on about how it wasn't a good idea to do this or that."  
  
Mummymon gulped, knowing that his chance of changing his relationship with his colleague from a professional one to a romantic one is slipping away faster than ever before. "What are we going to do? What if those kids decide to take this opportunity to destroy more control spires?" A snort came from his passenger. "You saw how much that kid wanted to make that truce. It was right there in his eyes. He'll probably force them all to stick to it. When we're good and ready, we'll break the truce."  
  
The mummy Digimon gripped the steering wheel of the vehicle more tightly. "When will we be good and ready? Blackwargrowlmon is probably destroying a lot of control spires and absorbing their data to make himself stronger. Other than that clump of spires in the western region, there are only a handful left!! And you know what happens to us when they're all gone!!" "You don't have to remind me. Now step on the gas pedal!! We have to get to that clump of control spires before Blackwargrowlmon is aware of that there is a group of control spires just standing there, waiting to be absorbed."  
  
************  
  
"If I understand this correctly, there were two potential subjects that could have been used in our experiment. You decided to go for the rabbit since the other proved to be most powerful. Even though I had confidence that you could have defeated him with your speed and your Nail Bone attack, which immobilizes whoever it hits, you decided to take a less riskier path and go for the champion level Digimon. I still would have accepted it as a test subject but the one little thing I can't understand is why you came back empty-handed." Daemon tapped the arm of his chair, waiting for a reply.   
  
Skullsatamon forced himself to remain calm before delivering his report to his master. "The other subject was at my mercy when his human partner slashed some sort of...card through his Digivice. That enabled the rabbit Digimon to digivolve to his ultimate form. Once he had done that, he quickly gained the upper hand in the battle. Had Ladydevimon not intervene at the last moment, I would not be standing here now."  
  
"I see. It seems that I have misplaced my confidence in you to complete this mission. Is there anything you would like to add to your report before I ponder what type of punishment I should inflict upon you?" Ladydevimon rubbed her hands together in anticipation. Skullsatamon couldn't think of anything until he remembered the discovery he had made. "I have made an interesting observation during the battle. When Spectralrapidmon knocked me down near the battle area where the Digidestined were fighting, I saw the child who held Millenniumon's dark spore within his neck. He has reverted back to the stage before the enhancements of the dark spore took place and his transformation to the Digimon Emperor."  
  
Daemon's train of thought immediately changed, realizing that a window of opportunity has just opened. "That means the dark spore has become inactive!!! Ladydevimon, can you confirm this?" The fallen angel Digimon gave a start. "I am unsure, my liege. I have not yet seen the boy for myself." Daemon narrowed his eyes. "Then it would be wise to check up on this for yourself," he stated icily.  
  
She gave a small bow before departing the area. Marinedevimon looked at Skullsatamon, who still remained in his kneeling position. "What about him, master? Have you decided his fate?" Daemon's attention turned back to the ultimate level Digimon kneeling before him. "If Ladydevimon returns with good news, then I will have to reward you. This is no ordinary discovery. The spore may contain the secrets to Millenniumon's power. And I intend to find out how to harness that power."  
  
************  
  
'Okay...the guy has hair that practically defies gravity. How can he be so hard to find?!?' Takato kept walking around the hallways of the school. He gave a sigh as he decided to approach the matter later when he bumped into the person he was looking for. "I'm sorry...Tai!! How's life going for ya?" Tai gave a smile. "A bit better knowing that the digital world is safe thanks to you tamers working with the new Digidestined."  
  
Takato grinned. "That's great!! Anyways...um..." 'I gotta be real careful. I don't want to embarrass myself and Tai by asking questions about his personal life.' Tai raised an eyebrow. "You were going to ask me something. What's on your mind?" Takato frantically tried to figure out a question for Tai. "So did you tell Sora how you're in love with her?" 'Smooth move, moron. Now Tai is probably never going to talk to me again since I'm probing into personal territory.'  
  
Tai was about to ask how did he know when he remembered that he came from the future. "Um...why? I didn't say anything yet. I don't want to pressure Sora or anything. What's the sudden interest in my love life?" Takato gave a silent sigh of relief before he started getting to the business at hand. "Well, I just thought that you and Sora would make a good couple."   
  
"Uh...right...seriously, what do you have planned up your sleeve?" Takato gave a slight growl of frustration. "From my perspective, if you don't act soon, someone else will claim her heart. Now that you know that there is someone else out there, you should go and do something about it now. You could tell her how ashamed and sad you felt when Datamon took her away. But you saved her life. As an added bonus, your interference caused Datamon to drop the Crest of Love right into Sora's hands."  
  
"Just what do you think you're doing?" Takato started to panic mentally. He turned around to face Rika. "I'm not doing anything, I swear!!! Me and Tai were having one of those guy to guy talks!!!" Rika narrowed her eyes. "You're giving advice about how he can improve his love life when you don't even have one of your own. Why?"  
  
Takato moved away from Tai to whisper in Rika's ear. "To be perfectly honest, I just don't see Matt as Sora's type." Rika rolled her eyes. "She probably chose Matt already! It must be due to when she went into a deep emotional funk. Joe and Matt had to save her but it was Matt who did most of the talking that brought her up in the end."  
  
"Wait a minute!! You mean that little part with Matt, Joe and Sora before the Digidestined fought Piedmon?" Rika nodded. Takato just stood there in surprise. "That's why she chose Matt over Tai?!?" Tai went pale when he heard Takato's statement. "What did you say?" Takato clutched his head, knowing that he just blew everything. "Run away!!!!" He started moving to the computer room as fast as he could to get to the usual after school meeting. Rika started muttering as she followed him. "Just when I thought he couldn't get any worse, he proves me wrong."  
  
Takato arrived at the door, trying to control his breathing. The other kids were crowded around Izzy, who had just installed a program to try to track down Blackwargrowlmon. Guilmon gave him a curious look. "You look a little tired, Takatomon." The boy raised his head. "I'm not really tired but the stress is starting to get to me." Terriermon leapt on the table to Takato's right. "You're worried about Blackwargrowlmon tearing up things in the digital world? We'll stop him!! Momentai!!"   
  
Takato gave a nervous laugh. "Blackwargrowlmon...right..." Izzy kept typing away until a blip appeared on the screen. "I have a fix!! From his current course, he's heading towards a desert area. There are a few control spires in the location. If we're going to get the jump on him, we should open a Digiport at this point. He'll probably come through here if he wants to get to the control spires as quickly as possible. You guys should go ahead. I'll inform Ken." Yolei took out her D3. "Okay then!! Digiport open!!" The computer screen started to glow just as Rika made it through the door. She saw the entire group disappear into the monitor while Izzy was doing something with the D terminal.   
  
Calumon blinked in confusion and looked around. Just a moment ago, he was sharing a snack with Patamon, Demiveemon, Poromon, Upamon and Gatomon. Now they were all gone and he was alone with the snack platter. "Alright!! More yummy snacky stuff for me!!" Without warning, Rika scooped him up and placed him underneath her arm. "Renamon!! Let's get going!!" The fox Digimon appeared right beside her. Calumon looked at the snack platter again. "Can I bring some of that stuff with me?"  
  
[Insert Digiport sequence, music, all that stuff]  
  
"Hey!! I don't see Blackwargrowlmon anywhere!!" Davis looked around but the cyborg Digimon appeared to be nowhere in sight. "Do you suppose that Izzy made a miscalculation?" asked Cody. TK narrowed his eyes. "I don't think so. If this is the wrong place, then I wouldn't be seeing something suspicious coming this way!!"   
  
The dark shape started getting closer. "It's Blackwargrowlmon!!" exclaimed Kari. Rika came from behind with Renamon. "Let's get down to business!! I underestimated Blackwargrowlmon before but this time I'm ready!!" Before everyone could digivolve, Blackwargrowlmon soared past them up ahead. Takato gave a look of surprise. "How was he able to move so fast?!"  
  
Henry gritted his teeth. "With each control spire he absorbs, Blackwargrowlmon becomes faster, stronger and more powerful. We've got to at least slow him down before thinking of an attack strategy!!" "Hey!!" The kids turned to see Ken and Stingmon up in the air, on a pursuit course. "Hurry up and digivolve!! We don't have much time!!" The tamers quickly took out a card. "Digi Modify!! Digivolution Activate!!!"  
  
DIGIVOLUTION....  
  
"Terriermon digivolved to...Gargomon!!!"  
"Guilmon digivolved to...Growlmon!!"  
"Renamon digivolved to...Kyubimon!!!"  
  
The tamers got on their own Digimon before slashing another card. "Digi Modify!! Hyperspeed Activate!!" Within a few moments, they were off. "We'll be right behind you!!" bellowed Davis. The only acknowledgement he got was a simple wave from Stingmon and Ken.  
  
Henry squinted his eyes to try and see Blackwargrowlmon but all he could see was a tiny black speck. "He's too far ahead!! By the time we get to the area, he will be in the process of downloading those control spires!!" Rika gave a smirk. "And that will be our opportunity to strike!!"  
  
Takato had to put his goggles on to shield his eyes from the sand. "He has very strong armor. When Wargrowlmon fought him last time after he absorbed that first control spire, his Atomic Blaster attack didn't have an effect, even with the additional power up cards!!" Henry narrowed his eyes. "That's why we need those blue cards. If everyone digivolves to ultimate and receives a lot of power up cards, we just may be able to beat him."   
  
Rika gave a scowl. "And just how can we obtain the blue cards, Einstein? They've only appeared at certain times. We can't fully control the Matrix Digivolution effect yet." Henry shot a glare. "Do you have a better idea? I'm open to suggestions!!!" Takato gave a gasp. "It doesn't matter!! Look!!" Everyone became silent and the Digimon stopped. Blackwargrowlmon had just finished absorbing the control spires but instead of flying off, he just stood there. A black aura started to surround him.   
  
"So did we miss anything?" Ken and Stingmon came up from behind and gasped at the scene before them. "What's happening, Ken?" asked Stingmon. Drops of sweat rolled down Ken's face. "I'm not sure but I think that we're in big trouble." Rika snorted. "That's an understatement. Blackwargrowlmon looks like he's about to digivolve to his mega form!!"  
  
The other Digidestined had just caught up. "Blackwargrowlmon digivolve to mega? Not while I'm around!! Exveemon, take him out!!" yelled Davis. Exveemon started to fly towards Blackwargrowlmon. The cyborg Digimon started forming armor on his legs. Aquilamon and Ankylomon started moving in as well as Pegasusmon and Nefertimon. A pillar of black energy came down on Blackwargrowlmon and forced the other Digimon to back off a bit. Growlmon, Gargomon and Kyubimon got ready to enter the battle.  
  
Takato blinked wearily. For some reason, he felt that a part of him was being drained. He blinked again. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't clear his head. Everything he saw looked kind of blurred a bit. "Whoa...I don't feel so good..." He was about to collapse in the sand when Henry caught him. "Takato!! What's wrong? Are you sick or something?" Rika knelt down by the boy. "Don't faint now, you wuss!! This isn't the time!!!"  
  
"I...can't help it. I'm feeling real...tired...like something is coming out..." Takato struggled not to give in to unconsciousness. Calumon had a worried look on his face. "This is bad." The pillar started to dissipate. Exveemon tried to regain his vision. Instead of seeing a cyborg Digimon, he saw a dark knight Digimon. His right arm had black armor and the head of a black lance instead of a hand. A black shield rested on his left arm. Blue stripes highlighted the chest and leg armor. He had a black helmet on with blue stripes, showing the craftsmanship of the helmet. His blue cape flapped freely in the wind. Exveemon concentrated his energy and fired. "Vee Laser!!" The dark knight Digimon's blue eyes narrowed as he prepared to fight. (AN: I didn't get a close look at Dukemon or Chaos Dukemon so I'm improvising for some parts.)  
  
"Come on, goggle head!! Nap time can wait!! We have a battle to win here!!" Takato's vision started to go even worse. All he could see was a blurred person, possibly female. "Let...me just rest...my eyes for a moment...do you know that...Tai and Sora should be together? Huh? I could...see them on the wedding...platform in a church...they belong...together...kind of..like Davis and Ka...ri" He tried blinking again but his eyes felt extremely heavy.  
  
Calumon looked at Takato. "Is he crazy or something?" Henry placed Takato down slowly. "Kind of, especially with the Davis and Kari thing. He can't think straight for some reason. He's probably hallucinating too." Takato's gaze rested on Rika. "No...hallucinations don't look...so beautiful..." The last thing he heard before surrendering to the darkness was Rika's voice, which gave the impression that she was panicking. "Snap out of this, goggle head!!! You can beat this, I know you can!! Takato? Takato!!!!!"  
  
  
There you have it, ladies and gentlemen. I did a little something with the couples. Just don't expect me to get into major details for some time. By the way...does anyone know anything about Chaos Dukemon's "Judecca Prison"? I could understand that Demon Disaster may have a similarity to Final Elysian but Judecca Prison doesn't seem to fit with Royal Sabre. So I have to take out Judecca Prison and try to create an attack similar to Royal Sabre just to get the similarities down pat. If you have any suggestions about attack names, you know what to do. 


	19. Second Configuration, Section Nine

Author's Notes: First, a big thank you to Lunamew for giving me a hand with an attack name for Chaos Dukemon to replace Judecca Prison. I should have checked my own thesaurus. Second, I don't support Daikari. They don't fit together. I only mentioned it because of Takato and how he kind of sees Tai and Davis as his idols. Thus he wants the both of them to get their ideal girlfriend. Tai with Sora and Davis with Kari. By the way, I showed Henry disagreeing with the Davis and Kari thing. Sorry if I caused any confusion. One more thing before getting to the story...I found a wicked song by the Offspring called "Defy You" from the Orange County soundtrack. After I finish this book, this song would make a pretty good ending theme. You'll see what I mean when you read the final chapter, coming soon in a few months.  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 2.9  
  
"Takato? Takato!!!!!" Rika's frantic shouts carried over to the battle area where everyone was trying to fight the newly formed mega Digimon. Growlmon turned over and gasped as he saw Takato lying there as if he were dead. Rika turned her focus onto Henry. "What's wrong with him?" Henry gritted his teeth. "I think Takato is suffering from some sort of side effect from Blackwargrowlmon's recent digivolution."  
  
"Gargo Laser!!!" "Fox Tail Inferno!!" Kyubimon and Gargomon joined in the fight but their attacks did not do any significant damage. The dark knight Digimon leapt up swiftly and knocked Pegasusmon and Nefertimon down with both arms. The blow was so hard that it forced them to go back to their previous forms. "Tail Hammer!!" Ankylomon's heavy spike tail hit the chest area but he didn't react at all. Cody had a terrified look on his face. "He didn't even flinch!!!"  
  
Aquilamon started to dive down to try an attack. "Grand Horn!!" Instead of striking his enemy, he found himself stopped by the left hand of his opponent. (AN: Remember, I mentioned that the shield was on the left arm) Davis clutched his D3. "If we're going to stand any chance at all, we need to DNA digivolve!!" Ken took out his own D3. "Go for it, Stingmon!!!" The dark knight Digimon prepared to power up his Demon Disaster.  
  
"Exveemon..."  
"...Stingmon..."  
"...DNA digivolved to...Paildramon!!"  
  
"How can Takato suffer from Blackwargrowlmon's digivolution? The last time I checked, dino boy over there was goggle head's partner Digimon." Henry closed his eyes in concentration before explaining his theory. "Remember the tamer digivolution theory that we came up with when we were trying to figure out a way for Growlmon to go back to being Guilmon? A Digimon requires a tamer's energy to digivolve. Technically, Blackwargrowlmon is a duplicate of Takato's partner Digimon. When he digivolved, he must have used Takato's energy. I have to assume that Blackwargrowlmon's control spire structure is what yielded this side effect."  
  
The boy paused for a moment before taking out his Digivice. "And we can't scan this Digimon properly. The last time we tried scanning one of Guilmon's digivolutions, we came up with nothing. Until Takato wakes up, we're on our own."  
  
"Takato? Takato!!!!!" The boy opened his eyes and gasped at the surroundings. At one end, he could barely make out Rika's voice. At the other end, he found a shadow that closely resembled Gallantmon. "Tamer..." Takato started sweating. "Who's there? Show yourself!! I'm warning you, I can handle myself in a fight!!"  
  
"Calm yourself. I have no intention of hurting you, tamer." The voice came from the shadow figure. Takato approached it slowly. "Guilmon, is that you? If that's you, then stop calling me tamer and just call me Takato!!" A chuckle echoed throughout the region. "Actually, I represent a part of Guilmon as well as a part of yourself. You see, the two of you have a special link. In fact, when Guilmon reaches his final form, your essence will become a part of him and increase his strength tenfold."  
  
Takato scratched his head. "So I'm going to be doing this little thing again when Guilmon digivolves to mega form? Man, I hope the next time this happens it won't make me dizzy or anything. What part of Guilmon and me do you specifically represent?" The voice began to speak again. "A part of you that you did not realize you had inside. You had always covered it up with that thick skull of yours."  
  
"So you're my brain? That doesn't make a lot of sense." An exasperated sigh came from the shadow. "What I represent is knowledge and expertise...put it this way. If you decide to choose me, you will have a better understanding of battle tactics just like your comrade, Rika." Curiosity started to build up within the boy.  
  
"What does it mean I have to choose you?" Silence came from the shadow before it spoke. "You are in a state of flux and instability. Partially from Blackwargrowlmon using your energy to digivolve. He has released a part of you that you didn't know about. It's up to you to make the choice to going back and living as the ignorant goggle head, as one of your comrades calls you...or gaining knowledge that will surely benefit your comrades now in this battle." Takato gave a start as a small screen came up allowing him to see the battle.  
  
"That looks like...Gallantmon. But he's so different...so dark..." The voice interrupted him before he could start pondering. "Knowledge is a powerful ally. What is it going to be?" Takato clenched his fists. "One thing is for sure. I can't turn my back on who I am. I've lived my life following my instincts. In the views of others, they may call it ignorance. But to me, they're the best allies I've got!!"  
  
The next thing he knew, he was blinded by a light. He opened his eyes and gasped for air. "Takato!! Are you alright?" He looked up into Rika's violet eyes, filled with worry. Calumon was right in front of him. He shook his head for a bit. "I think I'm in one piece." Henry gave a small sigh of relief. "That's good. Get your Digivice out. We need some data to work on with this guy over there." Takato looked over to the battle area. Most of the Digimon were barely able to stand up. Growlmon was still up and fighting with a furious look in his eyes. "Dragon Slash!!!" The dark knight Digimon blocked it.  
  
"Let's see here...Shadowgallantmon, mega dark knight Digimon. Virus type. His Demon Disaster is a global attack. At full power, it destroys everything within a 2 mile radius. If his Obsidian Lance connects repetitively with an opponent, the damage multiplies like crazy. And one hit takes away at least 40% of his enemy's health."   
  
Henry went pale at those statistics. "This is not good. Everyone, regroup back here!!!" The Digidestined quickly scooped up their tired partner Digimon. Kyubimon and Gargomon prepared to give cover fire but their strength was rapidly declining as well. With a mighty toss, Growlmon was sent soaring over their heads. "Fox Tail Inferno!!" Gargomon tried to fire a Gargo Laser but nothing happened. "Uh, Henry? A little help?" The boy grabbed a card. "Digi Modify!! Recharge Activate!!"  
  
"Gargo Laser!!" Blasts of green energy joined the nine blue fireballs. Shadowgallantmon quickly dodged both of their attacks and went in for a close attack on Kyubimon. Before she could react, his knee rammed right into her jaw and sent her flying back. He then used the momentum to aim an inside roundhouse kick, using his left leg, at Gargomon's head. (AN: For that little trick, his left leg would be going in a clockwise motion.) Henry and Rika ran over to their respective partner Digimon, who had reverted back to their rookie forms.  
  
Growlmon slowly got up. He had suffered quite an amount of damage but he still wanted a piece of his dark mega counterpart. Takato took out a card. "That's it!! I have to end this one way or another!! If anyone from the great powers that be is listening, please grant me the power to protect the digital world." The card in his hand just started changing into a blue card.   
  
"You know, that would have been a lot more helpful earlier. If that little prayer is all I need to say to get the blue card..." Rika trailed off, not even bothering to finish her remark. Takato clutched the card carefully. "Digi Modify!!! Matrix Digivolution Activate!!!" Calumon's red mark started to glow.  
  
MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION.... "Growlmon digivolved to...Wargrowlmon!!"   
  
"Takato, you do realize that there is absolutely no way Wargrowlmon can take down Shadowgallantmon," stated Henry. Takato gritted his teeth. "I have to try!! The entire world may be counting on this!! Let's go, Wargrowlmon...what is Shadowgallantmon doing?!" The dark knight Digimon raised his lance. It started changing from pure black to a silver look with a little blue circle surrounding it near the top.   
  
"Weapon is fully charged and stabilized. Now that's more like it..." He charged at Wargrowlmon with an impressive speed and brought his lance down. Wargrowlmon barely had enough time to use both of his blades to block the lance, which was inches away from the top of his head. Undaunted, Shadowgallantmon used his left arm to deliver a blow to his stomach. Takato started to clutch his stomach in pain. TK noticed this. "Takato!! What's happening?"  
  
The other boy grimaced in pain. "I think I just felt Shadowgallantmon's attack. It's like I'm linked with Wargrowlmon or something because right now, it feels like I've been punched repetitively in the stomach." Shadowgallantmon easily blocked another attack and was about to attack when he noticed Takato clutching his stomach. He made a mental note to go easy on Wargrowlmon.   
  
Wargrowlmon concentrated his energy. "Atomic Blaster!!!" The dark knight Digimon used his lance to disperse the energy wave by charging directly at his opponent while he unleashed the attack. The lance split the wave, giving enough room for Shadowgallantmon to make an attack. With one blow, Wargrowlmon was sent flying towards the area where the others watched the battle. Takato started to collapse in pain. Wargrowlmon changed back to Guilmon.   
  
Cody backed away slowly. "That's it...we lost this battle. We've got to retreat!!" "To where? Shadowgallantmon will probably destroy us now if he's not an idiot. He already reached his mega level. What else does he need?!?" snapped Rika. Yolei gave a sigh. "Great...now Arukenimon and Mummymon can run wild in the digital world while this guy blows us up!!"   
  
Shadowgallantmon slowly approached the group. Takato fought against the pain his body had suffered to stand defensively in front of Guilmon. "Leave him alone!! Can't you see he is in no condition to fight?!?" Shadowgallantmon remained silent. Takato took this opportunity to ask him what he wanted. "What is it you want? Why are you doing all this? Can't you find something more meaningful to fight for?"  
  
The dark knight Digimon finally spoke. "What I want is a battle with your Digimon in his final form." Takato blinked. He wanted to fight Guilmon in his mega form. Before he could ask another question, Henry spoke first. "Why would you want to fight Guilmon in his mega form?"  
  
"In his final form, he contains the key to unlocking my full power. I may appear to be strong now but I'm incomplete. Only after I absorb the data of...Guilmon in his final form will I obtain the essence of the tamer as well." Takato narrowed his eyes. "Wait a minute. You're the shadow in that dream I had!!"  
  
"Not exactly. You see, when I digivolved, your essence had the opportunity to become one with me instead of one with your partner Digimon when he digivolved to mega. All you had to do was embrace your dark side. Instead of innocence and ignorance, you would gain knowledge and tactics to claim victory in many battles. However you had decided to remain a fool and stick with your partner Digimon." Henry stood up. "Now I get it. Takato went into that trance to make his decision. Now that he's staying with Guilmon, you have to battle him in his mega form in order to have some chance of obtaining his essence! In a way...you want Takato to be your tamer!!"  
  
"Quite perceptive, young one. But there is a small flaw in your theory. I have no intention of having a tamer. I only require his essence because in some indirect manner, he was my original creator. The additional fact that he was a Digimon tamer meant that his essence could be transferred to me since I represented some aspect of his partner Digimon." Takato clenched his fists. "Well I can tell you that I will not give my essence to someone as dark as you!!"  
  
Shadowgallantmon ignored the boy's last statement. "Here are the conditions. You have twenty-four hours to have Guilmon in his mega form meet me in battle. We will fight in the G5 sector of the digital world. If you do not satisfy these conditions, for every hour after the deadline, I will destroy a portion of the digital world."  
  
The group remained silent with shock as Shadowgallantmon continued issuing his ultimatum. "The longer you take, the more the digital world suffers. I will destroy it sector by sector. The blood of innocent Digimon will be on your hands. Should you make an attempt to stop me without meeting my conditions, I will destroy a random Digimon or human from your group. Except for the two of you." Takato and Guilmon knew that the pressure was on them to save the digital world.   
  
Davis was the first to speak from the group. "Are you so hungry for power that you would commit a massacre? You are a knight!! Don't you have some sort of code of conduct? A code of justice?" The mega Digimon gave a snort. "I live by a simple rule: do whatever it takes to get what you want. Unlike you, I am not bound and restricted by your ethics and morals. In addition, I have no obligation to the digital world. In simple terms, I don't give a damn if the digital world is destroyed."   
  
With his ultimatum delivered, Shadowgallantmon turned around and started to walk away. While the others looked on, pondering how they can resolve this situation, TK took out his D terminal and turned on the digital world map. "Let's see here...sector G5...wait a second. It kind of looks like some airport." Henry came over to take a look. He gave a gasp when he realized what could happen. Rika walked up to the two boys. "Well? What's the big deal about that place, Einstein?" Henry took TK's D terminal and showed the picture to Rika. "Take a look for yourself." In the monitor, a Destiny Stone rested on the intersections of the four roads.  
  
  
Chaos Dukemon was supposed to have a silver and blue lance. Sorry if I confused anybody here. Okay...for the next three chapters, I planned nothing but cliffhangers so you'll probably get a little ticked off. And you will not believe how I get the tamers back into their world. Just keep reading and reviewing to find out!! 


	20. Second Configuration, Section Ten

Author's Notes: Wow...I'm already wrapping up the second configuration. Time passes by when you're having fun. I mean, I'm having a blast with this story. Heck, I've practically focused on this story for so long that I almost forgot about my other projects. Okay, let's start the show!!  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 2.0   
  
"Finally!! It's about time we got here!! If you refilled the gas tank earlier, we may have gotten here sooner!!" Mummymon got out of the vehicle and gave a giant stretch. "Well, the control spires are still standing here, are they? That reminds me...I wonder how those kids are doing with Blackwargrowlmon?" Arukenimon started to make her preparations.  
  
"Who cares how they're doing? As long as they keep off our backs, they can do whatever they want. Now let's see what I can cook up so I can put an end to Blackwargrowlmon's little rebellion." She started concentrating her power. "I call upon the powers that no holy Digimon dares to touch. Digimon of Darkness, come to me!!!" The control spires started to dissipate into data. The sky started rumbling with massive energy. A giant form started to appear. Its legs started to form. A body, arms and a head later came. After the beast's body had been formed, it opened its eyes.   
  
Mummymon stared in awe. Arukenimon had a smirk on her face. If she played her cards right, then this new powerful beast will help eradicate Blackwargrowlmon. "Who are you?" The beast had noticed them. Mummymon started to speak. "Arukenimon is your mas-" Arukenimon quickly put a hand over her partner's mouth. "Shut up, you idiot!! Let me do the talking!!! When it comes to dealing with mega Digimon, the rules are totally different."  
  
************  
  
"By the time I reached the battle area, the children had disappeared. They probably returned to the real world." Ladydevimon concluded her report. Daemon tapped his fingers in thought. Skullsatamon stepped forward to speak. "Do you wish for us to pursue the child in the real world, master? Surely with all those other humans, they would have to take additional caution."  
  
"Silence, fool!! Have you forgotten that our master's energy reserves are still depleted from creating the transdimensional portal that got us here in the first place? When he is at full strength, he will be able to easily open a gateway between this world and the other world. Then we will strike!!" Marinedevimon gave an evil smile. Daemon remained lost in his thoughts. 'Once I harness Millenniumon's power, creating portals between dimensions will require less effort than snapping a finger. Then I will finally have my revenge on you...Zero.'  
  
"Master?" Daemon snapped back to reality from Skullsatamon's voice. "If we are not to pursue the child in the real world, then what is our course of action?" Daemon cleared his head of his revenge plans before speaking. "We must wait. I sense that one of our new arrivals has reached his potential. At the moment, we cannot afford a confrontation."  
  
************  
  
"Where did those two go? We need to start planning some sort of strategy!!" Rika gave a growl of annoyance. Henry decided to make an attempt to calm her down. "They need a bit of time alone. When the entire fate of the digital world is on your shoulders, you would probably need to find some inner stability before going forward. Besides, the only strategy that could work against a powerful mega Digimon such as Shadowgallantmon is running away."  
  
The heavy weight of the ultimatum had the entire group restless. Even the Digimon could not eat as much as they did, with the exception of Calumon. Finally, Yolei broke the silence. "It's over...we don't have the firepower to take Shadowgallantmon down. If only we had a Digimon that could compete with him." Henry snapped his fingers. "Wait a minute!! I think I have an alternate solution!!!"  
  
Everyone turned their attention on to the boy. "We contact Gennai!! With his help, we could obtain one of Azulongmon's digital cores, which should be able to let Patamon and Gatomon to not only digivolve to their ultimate forms but allow Paildramon to digivolve to mega!!" Almost immediately, most of the group felt a renewed sense of hope. Davis gave a smile. "Now we're getting somewhere!!"  
  
Rika crossed her arms. "Hold the celebrations. This plan isn't totally fool proof. Previous attempts to contact Gennai have proven futile. Usually, he's the one who calls you, remember?" Almost immediately, a loud sigh came from most of the group. Cody gave Rika a small glare. "Can't you be a little more optimistic?" She narrowed her violet eyes. "Optimism is irrelevant."  
  
TK started to think back to all those times Gennai made contact with the group. "Well, usually Gennai would call when there's trouble brewing in the digital world and he would give us a hand. With a control spire mega Digimon, who plans to cause chaos if he doesn't get what he wants, running wild in the digital world, I would have to qualify that as trouble brewing." Kari stroked her chin. "The only possible reason why he didn't call is because he hasn't figured out a method of stopping Shadowgallantmon. After all, we are dealing with a mega Digimon from the future."  
  
The door opened, revealing a silent Takato and Guilmon. "It's about time you got here, goggle head. I don't suppose that you have been figuring out how to get Guilmon to digivolve to mega, have you?" The boy raised his head. "No...I don't want to force Guilmon to digivolve to mega. It will happen when Guilmon and I are ready. At that point, it will feel right."  
  
Renamon came behind Rika. "We don't have much time until Shadowgallantmon starts his rampage throughout the digital world. Allowing Guilmon to digivolve when he is ready is a luxury we can't afford." Takato looked at the fox Digimon sharply. "I don't want Guilmon to turn into something that doesn't represent him. Henry, don't you remember the time when Tai's attempts to force Greymon to digivolve into his ultimate form proved to be disastrous? Yeah, he still got an ultimate level Digimon but that Digimon was wild and out of control."  
  
"The fact is that Tai still got an ultimate level Digimon that was able to deal with the present threat. Now we have to do the same," stated Henry. Takato lowered his gaze. "I know that. But I don't even know where to begin." Terriermon gave a quick glance at the clock. "Well we better come up with something quickly. Our deadline is one hour away!!"   
  
************  
  
'Now this is a curious relic. What does it represent?' The dark knight Digimon stood in front of the Destiny Stone. 'No matter. In a few moments, all that will remain here is rubble and debris.' He looked up at where the sun was positioned and traced it back to his own position. His shadow was only a few centimetres away from where it had been twenty-four hours ago.  
  
Shadowgallantmon started to prepare his attack when he noticed several objects in the air and heading towards him. There were also some shapes on the ground. He narrowed his eyes to try and focus on his opponent. Instead of seeing a mega Digimon, he saw the boy riding on Wargrowlmon. 'Okay here...one potato, two potato...no...bubblegum, bubblegum...hmmmmm...inky pinky ponky....I think I'll just stick with eenie meenie miney mo.'  
  
"I don't suppose we could say another prayer and have you guys digivolve to mega, can we?" Taomon did not respond to Yolei's question. A gloomy atmosphere had settled down upon the group. By coming to the digital world without meeting the conditions of the ultimatum, there were going to be heavy casualties. Takato knew that he should have went alone. At least that way, Shadowgallantmon would not kill anybody. However the group had a duty to the digital world. The repercussions would be severe if Shadowgallantmon started his massacre. Calumon didn't notice the gloomy atmosphere since he was having a lot of fun riding on Wargrowlmon's head.  
  
'...no means no so out you go.' Shadowgallantmon raised his lance up high. Black energy crackled around the lance as he powered up his attack. "Rapid Fire!!!" Rapidmon had already reached the area and started his attack. The dark knight Digimon barely felt the attack as he continued to power up. "Demon Disaster!!!" He brought his lance down and hit the ground, sending a powerful shockwave around him.  
  
Takato noticed what Shadowgallantmon was doing. "Everyone get back!!!!" His warning came too late. The shockwave dealt a massive amount of damage to Digimon and human alike. All of the Digimon had to revert back to their original forms, except for Wargrowlmon since he and Takato came up from behind everybody, thus feeling a lighter impact. Calumon's ears shrank back to their small size as he leapt off Wargrowlmon. Hawkmon and Armadillomon could barely move. "Did someone get the name of that Mammothmon?" moaned Hawkmon.  
  
Shadowgallantmon walked over to where the group lay battered up from the shockwave. He knelt down and picked up Rika by the collar. "Congratulations. You are the first official winner of my little sweepstakes. Is there anything you would like to say before I give you your prize?" She found that she couldn't move due to fear. The fear that she felt when Gargomon got real close was nothing compared to this. "Let her go!!!!" The dark knight Digimon looked over at Takato. Renamon tried to get up but she had little energy.  
  
"If she dies, it will be your fault. I have already given you my conditions. I have simplified it so even a knuckle head like you will understand. But you have still chosen to violate those conditions. And for that you must pay a price. Hopefully, this will be the incentive for you to actually follow instructions from now on." Shadowgallantmon prepared to thrust the lance into Rika's abdomen.   
  
The thin line separating civilized behaviour and primal instinct had snapped inside of the boy. Takato gave out a loud scream. Red energy came down upon him and Wargrowlmon. The screen on his Digivice glowed a fiery red. Whatever logic had remained inside of him had been replaced by pure blood lust. His inner demons had started to assert themselves as his essence changed. When the light show was over, Takato and Wargrowlmon were nowhere to be seen. Instead, a shady figure, glowing with red energy, had taken their place.  
  
"Well, well, well...you finally decide to smarten up." Shadowgallantmon threw Rika aside and took a defensive stance. A red fireball of energy flew towards him at great speed. The dark knight Digimon quickly put his shield in front of it to block the attack. It forced him to step back to compensate for the recoil. When he looked up again, a giant red dragon charged towards him. He had Guilmon's viral icon on his shoulders and chest. A tail had replaced both legs and he had wings made out of fire. "Megido Flame!!!!!"  
  
Henry shuddered in fear. "That mega Digimon...he looks so evil..." Renamon slowly got up and studied the new dragon Digimon. 'He has great power...but he fights with rage in his eyes and in his heart. Should he continue to fight blindly, he will fall...' Shadowgallantmon dodged the attack and powered up his lance. "Obsidian Lance!!!" His opponent stopped the lance with one hand. The hand was getting severely injured by the lance but the dragon Digimon didn't seem to notice.   
  
"Quite impressive..." Shadowgallantmon gave a tremendous kick to force the dragon Digimon back. Undaunted, he started to charge again. The dark knight Digimon leapt up, bounced off the head of his opponent and fired a black energy wave which hit the dragon at the back of his head, knocking him down. "You may have great power but intelligence is another story. Now let's finish this so I can absorb your data..." "Catastrophe!!!"   
  
The explosion threw Shadowgallantmon back into the Destiny Stone. He looked up to see a gigantic insect Digimon flying towards him. "What's this?!? Who are you?!" The insect Digimon gave a snort. "I am the most powerful Digimon in the digital world. You have made a decision to contest that claim. Therefore I will prove my worth by destroying you." The red dragon Digimon split apart, yielding a tired tamer with his Digimon.   
  
TK got up slowly. "Someone get them out of the way!! Those two megas are about to duke it out!!!" Nobody could offer any aid to transport Takato and Guilmon out of the area until Ken arrived. "Sorry I'm late. My mom asked me to do her a little favour...looks like I missed quite a lot."   
  
Davis turned around. "Takato and Guilmon need to get back here!!" Ken clutched his D3 while Wormmon moved forward. "Wormmon digivolved to...Stingmon!!!" Stingmon quickly unfolded his dragonfly wings and flew towards the area. He quickly scooped them up in his arms.  
  
Henry took out his Digivice. "Who is this guy? He kind of looks like...Kuwagamon." Finally the statistical data started to spill out on the screen. "Grandkuwagamon, a mega insect Digimon. Virus type. If its Dimension Scissors connects with an opponent, then that opponent's data will be spread across several dimensions. Its Catastrophe attack causes massive explosions when used continuously. So this guy has the power to tear apart the fabric of reality..."  
  
Rika hobbled over to where Stingmon set down Takato and Guilmon. "Hey, goggle head!! Are you in one piece?" Takato opened his eyes as his primal fire has died down for the moment. He looked over at Rika and instantly hugged her. "Thank goodness you're okay!!! I thought you were going to be a goner!!!" "Glad to see you're fine. Now will you get off me before I hurt you?"  
  
Grandkuwagamon tried to use its Dimension Scissors attack on Shadowgallantmon but he proved to be just a little too fast. A small rip in reality emerged near the Destiny Stone. The dark knight Digimon prepared to use his Obsidian Lance but the insect Digimon had other ideas. It used one of its arms to knock Shadowgallantmon down to the ground. "Dimension Scissors!!" The other mega Digimon barely got out of the way and part of the scissors scratched his left arm.   
  
"Aaah!!!" Takato clutched his left arm and saw the blood on his hand when he pulled it away. He looked over at where Shadowgallantmon was fighting. A small scratch was on his left arm as well. Takato gave a groan. "It seems that I also take damage when Shadowgallantmon gets hurt...this bites!!"   
  
The dark knight Digimon took another defensive stance in front of the Destiny Stone. Grandkuwagamon gave a chuckle. "Now you're mine!! Dimension Scissors!!!" Shadowgallantmon leapt up into the air while the attack hit the Destiny Stone and shattered it. Before the insect Digimon could react, Shadowgallantmon drove his lance right through its skull. "Obsidian Lance!!!" The other mega Digimon dissipated into data which became absorbed by Shadowgallantmon.   
  
Henry gave a gasp. "The Destiny Stone has been destroyed!! We've got to get out of here before the vortex forms!!" The vortex opened up right behind the dark knight Digimon, who was still absorbing the data. Takato saw a rare opportunity to get rid of him. "Stingmon!! We've got to push Shadowgallantmon through that vortex!! Everyone, try to form a chain so Stingmon won't get sucked in as well!!!"  
  
Stingmon prepared to attack. A pink blade came out from the top of his wrist. "Spiking Strike!!!" The dark knight Digimon had just finished absorbing the data when he was pushed back by Stingmon. He tried to regain his footing but the vortex's vacuum was too strong. Stingmon tried to fly back but the vacuum was starting to suck him in. Ken moved forward to grab his legs. Soon a chain, consisting of humans and Digimon, formed with Yolei and Hawkmon at the rear.   
  
"We need a TV to open a Digiport back home!!!" Cody saw the TV fly by as it became swallowed by the vortex. "Unfortunately, that won't be happening!!" The chain started to collapse. Takato gritted his teeth as he shouted over the wind. "Stand together!!!!!!" Soon the group lost their grip and were sailing towards the vortex.  
  
"Mummymon, don't get too close!! Do you want us to get sucked in too?" Arukenimon tried to hold on to her red hat. A flash of light blinded the two ultimate level Digimon. After a moment, the vortex was gone, as well as the Digidestined, the tamers and the dark mega Digimon. Mummymon couldn't help but give a nervous gulp. "They're all gone!! What does this mean?" Arukenimon gave a dark smile. "This means we have an opportunity...start driving!! We have to act quickly before the digital world defenses regain their strength!!"  
  
************  
  
A small shockwave was felt by the minions of Daemon. Skullsatamon had to lean on his staff to keep his balance. "What just happened?" Daemon stood up from his throne. "There was a shift in reality. Someone has opened a vortex to another dimension and it is creating some instability in this world."   
  
Ladydevimon crossed her arms. "And who would that someone be, master?" Daemon narrowed his blue eyes. "I believe the new arrival was the one responsible. I cannot feel his pattern tapping into the powers of darkness. If he were to die, there would be a brief fluctuation before his pattern dissipates but I did not feel such a fluctuation."   
  
"What if the chosen children fell into the vortex? Then your opportunity to study and harness Millenniumon's power will be lost forever," stated Marinedevimon. Daemon sat back down in his throne again. "Their desire to return home will be strong. They are resourceful adversaries and they will find a way to return. And when they do, I will be ready for them."  
  
************  
  
"Sir, I've located another wild one. And this one is massive. It's at least ten times larger than any other previous readings." Yamaki gave a growl before issuing orders. "Activate Yuggoth immediately!! We have to eliminate it before it can do any harm!!" Riley kept typing at her keyboard. "It's moving too fast!! Bio-emergence is imminent in t-minus ten seconds!!" Yamaki clenched his lighter. "...five, four, three, two..."  
  
************  
  
"Hello? Is anybody there? Takato, stop fooling around!! This isn't the time!!" Henry was walking in pure darkness. A small light appeared on his left. Under the light was a bed with a white blanket over somebody. Henry slowly moved towards the bed. 'Who is sleeping here?'   
  
Before he could remove the cover, a hand from underneath grabbed his outstretched one. The figure then tossed away the blanket. Henry gave a gasp. It was the mega dragon Digimon that had fought with Shadowgallantmon earlier. He tried to get free but the dragon had a strong grip. Suddenly, the boy felt himself being shaken as the dragon started talking in Takato's voice. "Hey, Henry!! Are you okay? Say something!!"  
  
Henry opened his eyes and saw Takato holding his hand and shaking him. "Whoa...the last thing I remember was being sucked into the vortex." He shook his head and rubbed his eyes. The next question he heard disturbed him greatly. "Henry...are we in the...future?" asked Yolei. He quickly opened his eyes and looked around him.   
  
There were no buildings. It almost looked like a desert with miles and miles of rocks and caverns. Terriermon was up and about. "Henry!! You're all right!! Gee, after being hurled around in some weird whirlpool, you would probably be thankful to be in one piece after." The boy got up and tried to get his bearings straight. The others had already waken up and were unsure of what to do in this strange new environment.  
  
Henry looked up. "Let's see if I can find some of the constellations in the sky since it's dark. Maybe I can use them to...what?!?" Instead of stars, the sky had gigantic pink circles. There were yellow blocks up above. The boy could barely make out what is above those blocks but it looked like some sort of net. "What is this place?!?" yelled Davis. "This is not a place for humans. Here, it is all about survival of the fittest." All eyes turned to Renamon. She gave a dark look before speaking. "This is the digital world."  
  
  
Well, the second configuration is finally done!!! I even gave Megidramon a small role since people wanted to see him. I still have to see how he turns out in the series. A little thing was bugging me...why did the Digimon dubbers give the phoenix's Japanese name as the turtle's English name? I don't know but I'll leave a little index as to the English names of the Holy Beasts.  
  
Qinglongmon - Azulongmon  
Zhuqiaomon - Ebonwumon  
Xuanwumon - Zhuqiaomon  
Baihumon - Baihumon  
  
So that's it for me for the moment...Imperialdramon will take a bit of time to come out as well as the mega versions of the tamers' Digimon. As for Jerri, Kazu and Kenta becoming aware of the Digimon and becoming tamers themselves...you'll have to wait and see. On a more depressing note, the Digimon Encyclopedia has been forced to shut down. I thank Megchan for keeping it up for so long and giving me some great ideas for this story. Additional thanks for translating some of the V-Tamer comics. I wish you the best in the future, Megchan. 


	21. Third Configuration, Section One

Author's Notes: Recently, I've been exposed to the V-Tamer comics, featuring Taichi and Zeromaru. I've read the first few chapters thanks to Megchan's translations. Anyway, it has spawned an idea in my head for a third book. But with my current writing pace, I probably won't get around to it for a year or two. So I'm saying sorry in advance.   
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 3.1  
  
Davis went pale after Renamon had just revealed that they were in the digital world. "This wasteland...is the digital world?!? But how...this doesn't make sense!!!" Yolei pushed up her glasses. "When it comes to you, Davis, everything doesn't make sense. This may be only a part of the digital world. There's probably some civilized areas...villages, cities..."  
  
Renamon narrowed her eyes. "As far as I'm concerned, there are very few civilized areas. It's every Digimon for himself. That is how I have lived for as far back as I can remember before meeting Rika. She summoned me to come to her world. The next thing I knew, I was right in front of her." Cody looked over at the tamers. "I don't suppose you know what happened here."  
  
"We don't. This is the first time we've been to the digital world. Although, this looks very similar...this place looks like the background in the computer...simulation. In a way, that's how I found Terriermon," stated Henry. Ken blinked. "What do you mean that's how you found him? Did he just come to you or something?" Henry nodded. "Terriermon just collapsed out of the computer monitor when I got my Digivice."  
  
"What about you, Guilmon? Do you remember how you found a way out of the digital world?" asked Kari sweetly. The rookie virus Digimon scratched his head. "Not really. The first thing I saw clearly was that...um...what was it called, Takatomon?" Takato gave a small smile. "You used your attack on a rat."  
  
"Well, we better find a way to get back to your real world so we can figure out a way for us to get home. I'm guessing our absence in the digital world has caused these harsh conditions...just how far into the future are we anyway? And don't give me that temporal prime directive stuff...we need to know how far we've gone so we can change things appropriately when we get back home," said TK. Henry wasn't sure what to say. Before he could speak, Calumon interrupted him. "Oh, no...the last time I was here, a big meanie was chasing me up on those yellow blocks. All I wanted was a little fun!! But the idea of fun in this place is not really fun at all!"  
  
Rika looked down sharply at the in-training Digimon. "Then how did you arrive in our world in the first place?" Calumon squinted his eyes as he searched his memory. "There was a bad horsey chasing me...someone else came in, lots of noise...something went boom and I flew straight up and into a place where the flying things were very rude."  
  
They all looked up to see what Calumon was talking about. Davis gave a groan. "You mean we have to somehow fly all the way up there?!? That is totally insane!!" Rika gave a growl. "Will you keep your big mouth shut? Or do you wish me to shut it for you?"  
  
************  
  
A digital field started to form above a building. When the fog settled down, all that was left on the rooftop is a dark figure. Shadowgallantmon looked over the city. 'What just happened?!? I had everything planned!! If it wasn't for that accursed insect, those children would be at my mercy and I would have obtained that tamer's essence in its raw and demonic form!! I must familiarize myself with this city before I start planning.'  
  
Inside the building, Hypnos kept monitoring the network for strange anomalies. The mood inside that room was intense. With a powerful wild one that was able to escape Yuggoth, problems are sure to follow. Yamaki replaced the lighter in his pocket. 'What is that monster waiting for? What is it planning?' "Have you detected anything strange that may reveal the motives of our new...visitor?"   
  
The two operators kept typing away at their keyboards. "I believe I may have found something interesting...Hypnos has detected a small anomalous reading. It's very faint though...as if it's beyond the plane we're scanning." Riley started to check her partner's readings. "Not even Hypnos has the ability to scan in this detail. The signature must be unbelievably massive or a group of several smaller readings."   
  
Yamaki gave a smirk. 'So an invasion force has been assembled...that wild one earlier must be a scout. After he tells his friend or friends all about the city, they'll launch a full assault. Not if I have anything to say about it.' "Have Yuggoth on stand by. As soon as they move into a position where they are ready to bio-emerge, that's when we'll strike." More tapping from the keyboards could be heard.   
  
"If there is the possibility that the faint signature is actually a group, then Yuggoth would be unable to destroy all of them at once in its current state. I recommend that some of the algorithms be reprogrammed in order to deal with that situation. It would still retain its original capability of tracking down and destroying a single target." Yamaki crossed his arms. "Very well. But make it fast. We don't know how much time we have."  
  
************  
  
"Just where are we going again?" complained Davis. Renamon gave an irritated sigh. "In such an environment as this, it is best not to stay out in the open. Especially when all of us have not fully recovered from the battle with Shadowgallantmon...and the additional fact that a wild Digimon may attempt to fight us and upload our data."  
  
"Besides, you wanted to check out what was down there because it kind of looked like some sort of small village. Even though it doesn't look like a village to me," stated Veemon. Davis gave a small sheepish grin as Rika just rolled her eyes. Before she could insult Davis, Renamon stopped walking. "What is it, Renamon?" The fox Digimon narrowed her blue eyes. "I believe someone is following us."  
  
A roar came out of nowhere as a Meramon leapt up into the air and threw a fireball straight at Veemon, who was too surprised to even move. He shut his eyes and waited for the inevitable pain. But it never came. He opened his eyes again to see that Renamon had blocked the hit. She quickly shook off the pain in her right paw. TK gave a gasp. "Meramon?" Henry gritted his teeth. "I don't think this is the Meramon you knew, TK!! It's probably a wild one, native in this digital world!!"  
  
Rika gave a smirk. "Might as well not let that data go to waste. Walk all over him, Renamon." Yolei gave a start. "What do you mean not let that data go to waste?!?" Meramon immediately went on the offensive, firing several fireballs at once. Renamon had little difficulty manoeuvring through the attacks and quickly countered with a kick to the stomach.   
  
"It shouldn't take too long for Renamon to finish off this battle. Then she can absorb Meramon's data and increase her own strength. That's the basis of everything in the digital world." The other girl clenched her fists. "You don't have to destroy that Digimon and upload his data!! You're strong enough already!!"   
  
Rika turned her icy gaze on to Yolei. "He was the one who attacked us with the obvious intentions to absorb our Digimon's data. By destroying him and uploading his data, he will no longer pose a threat to us." Yolei didn't back down. "He's outnumbered and our Digimon can digivolve up to ultimate level. He doesn't pose a serious threat. After all that time you spent with us, haven't you learned anything?!? There are other ways to defeat an opponent other than just destroying in cold blood!! Why don't you try diplomacy? After all, he is artificially intelligent. He may be reacting naturally to our intrusion in his territory or something!"  
  
Before the other girl could give a response, Cody stepped forward. "Yolei is right. There could have been some incidences which some Digimon reacted negatively to the arrival of humans. Unless they pose a serious threat, we have to assume they are only fighting in self-defence to our intrusion." Rika gave a small growl before turning back to the fight. Yolei turned her attention to the other Digidestined. "What do you have to say about this, guys?"  
  
"Well, Kari should say something about it first. She's more sensitive about this type of stuff," blurted Davis. Yolei gave a sigh. "You only want her to go first so you can just agree with her and try to score some points. Just say what's on your mind...assuming you have one." Davis ignored the insult. "I guess this is her natural reaction when she sees a wild Digimon. After all, she has to do everything she can in order to save her world. In a way, I kind of understand. She's doing everything she can to stop a potential danger to our group."  
  
"Just like in the old days. I still remember when Seadramon put the squeeze on Matt. I was pretty scared. Gabumon had to digivolve and fight Seadramon with everything he had in order to save Matt. If we had the ability to digivolve to ultimate, we would have probably still took whatever action was necessary. I guess in some circumstances, we would have to put ourselves as the number one priority instead of the safety of a single aggressive Digimon," stated TK. "Kind of like the same thing when Shellmon tried something nasty on Tai," added Takato.   
  
Kari lowered her eyes. "The Dark Masters and their minions were ruthless...they had the ability to change but they chose not to. We had to destroy them and Apocalymon in order to save the digital world and our world as well. Maybe if we had enough power to defeat them easily, we could have tried to help them reform...but knowing them, they would have tried to use something else against us." Ken remained silent as he did not feel any preference to either view point.  
  
"Let us try to reason with Meramon, Rika. Hawkmon and Armadillomon are feeling a lot better from our previous battle. They've got some energy back so they can digivolve to their champion forms," said Yolei firmly. Rika glanced over her shoulder. "Good for them." Then she returned her attention back to the fight.   
  
"Rika...why don't you actually give this a try? You should conserve your energy in case we run into something a lot bigger and badder than Meramon," stated Takato. Silence filled the atmosphere for a few moments until she spoke. "Alright, alright...if it'll get you guys to stop being my moral compass. Renamon, break time." The fox Digimon jumped over Meramon as he attacked. Hawkmon and Armadillomon stepped forward.   
  
"Hawkmon digivolved to...Aquilamon!!"  
"Armadillomon digivolved to...Ankylomon!!"  
  
"Whoa...do you know what this means, Henry?" The boy turned his head to face Terriermon with a puzzled look. Terriermon gave a grin. "It means hell just froze over. She actually listened to him!!" Henry raised an eyebrow. "And why did you make such an observation?"   
  
"You are outnumbered and low on energy. Now start talking!! Why did you attack us?" Meramon wasn't sure what to do when he noticed something scuttle behind a rock on his left. He glanced over at the left and fired his attack in a projectile motion. It sailed over a rock and hit the Gazimon that was hiding behind that rock. Meramon started to glow as the data became absorbed. He started glowing as his flames started to change from red to blue. Henry gave a start. "He's digivolving to ultimate!!!"  
  
Before Aquilamon and Ankylomon could react, they were both sent flying back by Skullmeramon. Yolei and Cody gave simultaneous gasps and ran over to their partner Digimon. A sinister chuckle came from the newly evolved Digimon. "Isn't this convenient? Somebody must like me very much if I get to absorb all of this..." Rika clenched her fist. "Back off!! This guy's mine!! Digi Modify!! Strength Activate!!" Renamon aimed a high jump kick at Skullmeramon's head. He was sent back a few metres but his feet were still implanted firmly in the ground.   
  
"Let's try this card...Digi Modify!! Metalgreymon's Metal Claw Activate!!" Renamon's left arm instantly formed into a claw. She fired it straight at his chest. He caught the claw just in time and yanked it towards him. Renamon was able to hold her ground thanks to the Strength Plug-In card. Rika grabbed another card. "Digi Modify!! Metalseadramon's River of Power Activate!!" Renamon couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed with her nose changing into a small cannon. She ignored that feeling and fired the beam. Skullmeramon was too focused on the tug of war to even look up until it was too late. A few moments later, Renamon was downloading his data.  
  
Rika gave a sigh as she looked over at Cody and Yolei. Ankylomon and Aquilamon were still a bit shaken up but they were fine. She walked over to the other girl. "Now I believe that I was correct about the savageness of the digital world and the natives here as well." Yolei gave a fierce glare. "So now you've come to gloat, huh?" The icy look in Rika's violet eyes did not waver. "No...but this has proven that there are things in our digital world that you are not ready for. There will also be some similar things in our world."  
  
Rika paused for a moment. "If you Digidestined wish to make it home in one piece, then it is best if you do exactly what me, Takato and Henry tell you." Before Yolei could protest, Rika cut her off. "The next word I want to hear out of your mouth is 'understood'." Yolei bit her lip. "Perfecto," she grumbled. The ground started to shake. Takato had to hold on to Guilmon for balance.   
  
TK and Ken had to step back as the shaking got more intense. Calumon had to move out of the way. "Watch where you're going!! You could have landed on me!!" Before TK could apologize, something flashed brightly. The next thing he knew, he felt himself weightless and unaffected by gravity. He looked down and gave a gasp.   
  
"Hey! What's going on? Help!!!" "I can't break free!!!" The group heard TK and Ken and turned around. The two of them along with their partner Digimon and Calumon were caught in one of the pink vacuums that had just lightly touched them as it swept an area. They were struggling to break out but had little success. Wormmon and Patamon tried to digivolve but were having no luck.  
  
"TK!! Ken!!! Hang-" Before Kari could finish her sentence, everybody in the vacuum got sucked upwards. Soon all of them were out of sight. The pink vacuum started to move on to another area. Kari was about to try to enter the vacuum to find TK and Ken when she heard a soft whisper in the wind. "Queen Kari..." She started to sweat and her knees gave out on her. Images of the Scubamon that abducted her flashed through her mind. Davis gasped. "Kari!! Are you...?" A shadow started to block the light. The group looked to see a large Digimon. It appeared to be grey in color and slimy too, with several tentacles as legs and a large head.   
  
"Ah...Queen Kari. At last we meet. My Scubamon have told me so much about you..." Kari could smell the presence of the Dark Ocean on him. Takato went pale. "Uh...Henry? Isn't this the Digimon that we saw at the end of the episode where Kari went to the Dark Ocean?" Henry nodded grimly. "Yeah...the undersea master...Dragomon."  
  
  
Do you know the feeling when you have so many ideas but it's hard to express it in a way that everyone can understand? Anyways...Dragomon is the English name instead of Dagomon. By the way, according to one of my reviewers Devidramon, Ebonwumon should be the name of the turtle mega Digimon and Zhuqiaomon should be the name of the phoenix. So this is how the names of the holy beasts turn out.  
  
Zhuqiaomon - Zhuqiaomon  
Xuanwumon - Ebonwumon  
Qinglongmon - Azulongmon  
Baihumon - Baihumon  
  
Well, that's it for me. I've got to study hard again...and my long-term assignments are beginning to pile up...essays, presentations...I might not be able to update for a bit of time. Sorry in advance!! 


	22. Third Configuration, Section Two

Author's Notes: The long wait is over...the second half of the third season is being shown in North America. Isn't that exciting? Anyways, I'm going to be referring to the phoenix as Zhuqiaomon and the turtle Ebonwumon because that is the way it should be. By the way, Chinese New Year has just passed us. It would have been nice I could have seen a Dragon or Lion dance. They are wicked, especially with the loud drum's rhythm.  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. Don't sue!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 3.2  
  
"This is infuriating!! Where is Zhuqiaomon? We need to find some sort of explanation about what happened!! It is imperative that the chosen children be returned immediately before Myotismon is reborn! Otherwise, the worlds will be thrown into darkness and the Digital Revolution will not take place!!" The dragon Digimon who guarded the Eastern sector of the digital world gave a growl of impatience.   
  
Ebonwumon, the turtle Digimon who guarded the Northern sector of the digital world, slowly began to speak. "Calm down, Azulongmon. The children that belonged to the world under Zhuqiaomon's protection had vanished at one point. Instead of worrying about them, he focused on the task at hand because he had confidence that they will be able to return by themselves." Azulongmon gave a sigh. "But the powers of transdimensional travel are not supposed to be in the hands of humans. Not for some time, anyway. How can he remain calm when his chosen children, who would most likely to be at the head of the Digital Revolution, have disappeared?"  
  
"Because he knows that loopholes exist between dimensions." Baihumon, the beast Digimon who guarded the Western sector of the digital world, stepped forward. "Each of the digital worlds has a link to one another. Most of the time, nobody can cross the barrier to get to the other realm. However, there are tiny fractures that exist and they can open up to other worlds if certain conditions are made. Do you remember when your chosen children used Myotismon's gate to return to their world? Had the cards been in another order, they would have ended up in the Northern, Southern or Western regions."  
  
"And do you remember what we had given the children when they took their rightful place as the chosen? In their subconscious minds, they know where to find the loopholes that lead from one dimension to another..." Ebonwumon paused for a moment as the digicores on the tree on his back started to glow. "...you see? The tamers have successfully returned to their world. And your chosen are with them. Now is there anything else that needs to be discussed?"  
  
Azulongmon narrowed all four of his eyes. "Yes. A viral Digimon of immense power has recently appeared. He has originated from the Digimon created by one of Zhuqiaomon's chosen but he was created entirely out of control spires. I fear that if he is not stopped soon, he may pose a threat to everything we have worked for. There is also the issue of Daemon's arrival in my realm." Ebonwumon gave a heavy sigh. "And you all say that I worry too much...first of all, if he truly becomes a threat, we shall give the chosen the power to defeat him. We can also step in if the circumstances become extreme. Besides, there are other Digimon more powerful than him."   
  
The dragon Digimon knew this too well. The memory of Millenniumon's threat still remained fresh in his mind. Ebonwumon continued to speak. "As for Daemon, his power level has been substantially lowered from his transdimensional trip. Even at full power, the chosen should be enough to defeat him. It is the reason why he retreated in the first place. Now if you would excuse me..." The turtle slowly turned around and slowly walked away. Baihumon remained in the area. "You still have a troubled look on your face, brother. What else has happened?"  
  
"It appeared to be a minor detail. However, a dimensional rift has been created between my realm and digital limbo. Some of the data belonging to some powerful Digimon escaped," stated Azulongmon. The other Digimon narrowed his eyes in thought. "I would have thought that the data would have been deleted but with many patterns to go through and decompile...well, it does not really matter...right?"  
  
"No, I suppose not. There is too little data to construct a physical form. Even if they all combined together, that would not be enough. The digieggs at Primary Village have been coated with a special security measure to prevent corruption and contamination. So there is no way that anything can happen in this realm. However, one of the patterns slipped away completely at the same time my chosen have disappeared. It may be able to take on a form by using whatever it can find in the realm that it has arrived in." Baihumon remained silent for a few moments. "Which Digimon possessed that pattern?" Azulongmon had a small grave look in his eyes. "Kimeramon."  
  
************  
  
TK felt that he was going into the rinse cycle when the laundry was being done. He kept spiralling further and further into oblivion along with Ken, Wormmon, Patamon and Calumon. He could barely see the others in front of him. Suddenly, he felt himself jolt forward as he was thrown down on to the ground. TK tried to stand up but his head still felt as though it were spinning itself. "I don't feel so good..." moaned Patamon as he proceeded to start vomiting.  
  
"Whoa...that was some whirly ride!!" Calumon started giggling as though he were intoxicated. Ken felt a bit groggy but otherwise he appeared to be fine. Wormmon waddled up to him, while struggling to maintain his balance on the yellow computer chip floor. "Are you okay, Ken?" Ken put a hand to his forehead. "Just as soon as I regain my equilibrium..."   
  
"So...humans have infiltrated our world. Let's finish them off now and deliver our report to the Sovereign." Indramon prepared to release the giant horn on his back. "Hold it!! What I would like to know is how they were able to get here in the first place. I'm sure the Sovereign would be interested in knowing how they got here as well so that better security measures can be made!" hissed Majiramon.  
  
The dragon deva circled above slowly as he took a better look at the little group below him. "These children have Digimon partners...but I do not think the Sovereign expected them to be tamers and on the human resistance. There is something about them..." Indramon gave a small snarl. "They have already infiltrated our realm with an attack force!! We must eliminate them before they can report their findings!!"  
  
Majiramon was about to reply when he noticed Calumon down there. "And who would that little white Digimon be?" Indramon had to squint to make out Calumon. "From his size...I believe he is an in-training Digimon. He does not pose a threat." The dragon deva narrowed his red eyes. "There is more to him than what we're seeing. I sense that he has a special quality...a quality that is shared by ourselves and our brethren."  
  
The horse deva snorted. "Are you saying that little in-training Digimon is one of us?!?" Majiramon continued to speak. "No...but he may be a holy beast Digimon. There is much mystery that surrounds these guests. We should speak to the Sovereign about this at once." Indramon gave a sigh. "I told you that we shouldn't have disturbed that data stream and let them out. Then they would have probably landed at a place where there is no chance of survival. At least that way, it would be less of a headache."  
  
************   
  
Henry whipped out his Digivice. "Dragomon, an ultimate level Digimon. Virus type. His Forbidden Trident allows him to summon several green energy tridents to attack his enemies. The Thousand Waves can be used as an offensive attack or environmental adjuster. By creating an aquatic environment, his speed and evasion ability increase." Gatomon gave a hiss. "Get away from Kari!!!" She leapt forward to deliver her Lightning Paw attack but Dragomon swatted her away with a wave of his arm.   
  
"Thousand Waves!" A pool of water started to form on the ground. The level of water started to rise fast. Ankylomon transformed back into his rookie form. "If this guy can create an aquatic environment, then I better armor-digivolve!" stated Armadillomon. Davis clutched his D3 while Veemon prepared to go into battle. "Digi Armor Energize!!!!"  
  
"Armadillomon armor-digivolved to...Submarimon, Reliable Guardian of the Sea!!"  
"Veemon armor-digivolved to...Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!!"  
  
Rika grabbed a card and was about to slash it when Takato yelled at her. "Wait a minute, Rika!! We won't be able to use the Digivolution card without Calumon!!" She shot back a glare at the boy. "I'm not about to depend on a little runt to help Renamon digivolve!! I'll find another way to make her advance to the next level!!"   
  
Henry took a moment to recall his observations about Calumon. "Calumon was more directly involved when our Digimon digivolved to their ultimate forms since his red beam combines with the light that comes out from our Digivices. But when they digivolve to champion form, nothing really comes out from him except for a glowing red triangle." Takato turned around. "So you're saying that our Digimon can digivolve to champion without him but not to ultimate? I guess we'll just have to find out." He took out his card just as Rika prepared to slash her card through her Digivice. "Digi Modify!! Digivolution Activate!!"   
  
DIGIVOLUTION...  
  
"Guilmon digivolved to...Growlmon!!"  
"Terriermon digivolved to...Gargomon!!!"  
"Renamon digivolved to...Kyubimon!!"  
  
Cody quickly hopped into the cockpit. Submarimon started to move in on to the target. "Oxygen Torpedo!!!" Dragomon had little difficulty moving away from the attack. He raised on of his arms. "Forbidden Trident!!!" (AN: Think of it as Abyss' trident super in Marvel VS Capcom 2) Several green tridents came down and attacked Submarimon.   
  
"Pyro Blaster!!" "Gargo Laser!!!" The energy blasts came at a tremendous speed and connected. But when the smoke started to fade, it was clear that Growlmon and Gargomon's attacks have done nothing but enrage the beast. "Thousand Waves!!" A massive cyclone came from beneath them and started to whirl them around. "Forbidden Trident!!" Green tridents started to attack the cyclone. A dark laugh erupted from Dragomon's throat.   
  
Yolei watched as Dragomon turned his attention on to Submarimon. 'That Digimon...he's so ruthless. He enjoys creating pain and suffering and he doesn't appear to be under some evil influence. Rika was right. There are some Digimon that can't be reasoned with.' "Well? Are we going to help the others or what?" She turned to face Aquilamon. 'Now I'm going to have to ignore my ethics in order to help my friends.' "Yeah. Let's go, Aquilamon."  
  
Flamedramon leapt in to make an attack on Dragomon. "Fire Rocket!!" Dragomon gave an irritated growl before counterattacking. "Thousand Waves!!" Submarimon was tossed a good distance away from the battle. Flamedramon tried to make an aerial recovery but he couldn't control his fall. He expected to land in the water but instead he landed on Kyubimon's back. Before Flamedramon could thank her for the save, she started to speak. "I have an attack plan."  
  
"Grand Horn!!!" Dragomon barely dodged Aquilamon's surprise attack. Yolei noticed that Kari was still paralyzed with fear. Gatomon was trying to get her partner to snap out of it and help her armor-digivolve. She ran over to try to snap some sense into her. "You have to put away your doubts and go with the flow!! We need your help!!" "I can't help!! I'm not strong enough!!! I thought I could escape but now everything's caught up and I'm trapped!!" wailed Kari.   
  
"Fox Tail Inferno!!!" Flamedramon had to duck to give Kyubimon some room. Dragomon blocked all nine fireballs. Flamedramon quickly used this opportunity to stand up, leap off Kyubimon's head and dive in for an attack. "Fire Rocket!!!" The ultimate level Digimon was knocked down but not for the count. "Why do you insist on fighting? As soon as I have Queen Kari in my grasp, then I will return to my realm without hesitation."  
  
"Just how did Dragomon get here anyway?" asked Takato. Henry narrowed his eyes. "The transdimensional mechanics may be different in the Dark Ocean. We have no idea about how the full capabilities of the Dark Gates. As far as I'm concerned, they can create portals to our world, the world of the Digidestined and other bizarre places!!"  
  
"Kari, you're stronger than you think!! I can give you a hand if you want." Yolei gave a small gulp. "Aquilamon...take out Dragomon with whatever force is necessary." Aquilamon circled around for another attack. "Blast Ring!!!" Dragomon gave a growl. "Forbidden Trident!!" Aquilamon weaved in and out of the tridents. "Grand Horn!!!"  
  
Kari looked at Yolei in wonder. "You...just a while ago, you were against the option of killing a Digimon that could be reasoned with. And you thought that all Digimon who weren't under an evil influence could be reasoned with." Yolei gave a weary sigh. "I've had to rethink about some things now that we're in a totally different place. But there's a tiny part at the back of my head that keeps thinking that everything can work out according to my old morals." Kari gave a small smile. "I guess...I can give you a hand." For the first time since landing in the new digital world, Yolei felt warm inside. "I would like that very much." A light erupted from both of their D3s.   
  
"Aquilamon..."  
"...Gatomon..."  
"...DNA digivolved to...Silphymon!!"  
  
Henry looked over at the newly formed ultimate Digimon. "Silphymon's timing couldn't be any better!!" The cyclone that kept Gargomon and Growlmon busy died down. Both champion Digimon landed on the ground, weakened from their ride in the cyclone. "You can say that again!!" mumbled Gargomon as he struggled to rise. Growlmon slowly started to get up and turned to face Dragomon. "Pyro Blaster!!" Gargomon focused his aim before attacking with his Gargo Laser. Kyubimon went in with a Dragon Wheel while Flamedramon attacked with his Fire Rocket.   
  
"Oxygen Torpedo!!" Submarimon came from behind for a sneak attack. All these attacks were starting to wear down the undersea master. Dragomon gave a snarl. "One way or another, you will come with me, Queen Kari!!" Silphymon started to channel forth energy. "That's what you think!! Static Force!!!" The blast of energy collided right into him. He had no time to scream as his physical form decompiled into data.   
  
The water started to disappear. "All right, guys!! We did it!!!" cheered Davis. "Now that Dragomon's bit the dust, we have to go find TK, Ken and the others. And our only chance is to enter one of those pink vacuums," stated Yolei. Everybody returned to their rookie forms except for Silphymon.   
  
"That would be unwise. We don't know where they will take us. If we go into one of those vacuums, our chances of meeting up with the others is slim. And our chances of returning to our home worlds respectively may become slimmer," said Rika. Kari narrowed her eyes. "That's a chance we have to take. They're a part of the team and we're not going to abandon them. Besides, we now have Silphymon to watch our backs." Terriermon gave a grin. "Whoa...Kari has more guts than Rika!! That's something you don't see everyday!!" Rika ignored the comment as she kept her eye on the approaching pink vacuum slowly coming their way. They all stayed close together as they were sucked in.  
  
The next thing they knew, they landed on something that looked like several thousand yellow computer chips. Kari got up and noticed something coming their way. She squinted her eyes to make it out. To her delight, it was Stingmon and Angemon with TK, Ken and Calumon. "Hey, guys!! Over here!!!" Her smile faded when she noticed something massive giving chase. "It's nice to see you all again but I suggest you RUN!!!!" yelled Angemon. The others gasped in shock as a Machinedramon came into focus.   
  
"Sir, I'm picking up several anomalous readings on the move!!" Yamaki clutched his lighter. "What's the status of the modifications on Yuggoth?" Riley finished typing in the final sequence. "Modifications are complete. But they're untested. I'm not certain what actual effect they may have on those wild ones." "I don't care!! Activate the program!! I want all of those signatures eradicated!!" barked Yamaki.  
  
"I'll try to hold him off!!" Before Silphymon could get into position, Angemon grabbed the ultimate's arm. "Unless you have enough power to take out a mega Digimon, you should move as fast as you can!!" "Giga Cannon!!" The energy blast hit Silphymon and forced Poromon and Salamon apart. Kari and Yolei ran back to scoop them up. Takato turned around to yell something when Guilmon gave a yelp. "Takatomon!! Help!!"   
  
The boy focused his attention on Guilmon and gasped as the virus Digimon struggled to get free. An odd shape had chained him...the same odd shape that came out of Shogungekomon's dark spiral about a week ago. "Hang on, Guilmon!!" The others stopped running to try to help out Guilmon. Some of Guilmon's data began to dissipate. Stingmon landed down to help as did Angemon. Rika pulled out a card. "Renamon, we have to stall for some time!!" The fox Digimon got ready. Before Rika can slash her card, Machinedramon unleashed another Giga Cannon, that knocked everybody into the air straight into the net.   
  
'Whoops...I guess I should watch my aim next time...and what do we have here?' The machine Digimon noticed someone's data was just floating around the digital world. 'I wonder who didn't absorb this guy's data...well, it's mine now.' As Machinedramon started the download sequence, he was unaware of a new consciousness awakening within.   
  
"Status report." Riley gave a small sigh as she told her superior officer the bad news. "We lost all of them, sir. The program's been knocked off line. All we got was a small digital pattern that we got from one of the wild ones." Yamaki sat back down in his chair before issuing new orders. "Get cracking on that code. I want to find a weakness that we can exploit!!"  
  
A fog started to form as several humans and Digimon started to tumble out. Calumon was the last to bio-emerge and blinked at the new surroundings. He didn't have to concentrate very hard in order to hover above the ground. He could hear everybody screaming in terror. The small Digimon looked down and saw that most of the group were tumbling toward the ground in a freefall from a height that is equivalent to the height of a typical office building in New York. He couldn't help but give a giggle. "Those guys are going to go splat if they don't know how to fly!!!"  
  
  
Whoa...I can't believe I finished this faster than seven days. Okay...first things first. If you want to get to the V-Tamer comic translation, it's at http://www.ugcs.caltech.edu/~wakkonat/vtamer/index.html. It's actually very good and the translations are done by the Digimon know-it-all, Megchan!! Second of all, a duel between Sakuyamon and Ladydevimon won't happen until around the third book of this story. As for a fight between the Sovereign and Imperialdramon...who knows? 


	23. Third Configuration, Section Three

Author's Notes: The card that Ryo used...it's the King Device, not Goliath. But when it comes to the chess devices in this story, I will call them Goliath King, Goliath Knight, etc. I haven't figured out where to toss in Shakkoumon so be patient. I also decided to give Majiramon a bigger role since in the show he doesn't do much. After this chapter, I'm looking at about 17 more chapters until completion.   
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. The comic shop layout is roughly based on EK Cards and Comics in Mississauga, Ontario.  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 3.3  
  
'Where am I?' Ryo Akiyama found himself in an area completely filled with darkness. He looked around the black void, hoping that there was some sign or a trace as to the whereabouts of his partner, Cyberdramon. The boy was about to start walking in some direction when he heard a dark laugh in the distance. 'That laugh...can it be...?' He started to run towards the source of the laugh but he couldn't tell if he was even in the right direction.  
  
"Okay, Millenniumon!! Show yourself!! I know you're out here!!!" Two bright spheres appeared in front of the boy. He quickly raised his arms to shield his eyes. When the light started to die down, Ryo lowered his arms. Instead of two spheres, he was staring straight into Millenniumon's dark red eyes, filled with evil. Before Ryo could react, a powerful voice started to speak. "So, my dear nemesis....it appears that we may meet again very soon." More laughter came out from the darkness.  
  
The boy woke up in a sweat. He rubbed his blue eyes for a moment, to clear out the rest of his sleepiness. Beside him, Cyberdramon remained alert for enemies to fight. Even though they were in a castle protected by Knightmon, they're not taking any chances. Cyberdramon gave a grunt. Ryo recognized this as Cyberdramon's way of asking him if everything was all right. "Not exactly. Millenniumon...appeared in my dream. He said that we may meet again very soon. He's back, Cyberdramon. And it's up to us to make sure that this is the last time that he comes back. It's going to be one hell of a battle but I'm sure you're up to it." Cyberdramon remained silent for a while before saying one word that slightly disturbed his tamer. "Sweet."  
  
************  
  
Renamon tried to find Rika but with the wind blowing against her, it was hard. She finally spotted her tamer, two hundred metres ahead of her. She moved her body in a skydiver position and soared towards Rika. "Aaaaaauuuuugggghhhh!!!!" Davis flailed his arms wildly. Veemon concentrated as hard as he could to digivolve before his partner winded up as street pizza.   
  
"Veemon digivolved to...Exveemon!!!"  
  
Exveemon stretched out his right arm to catch Davis. He kept screaming until he noticed that he wasn't falling. "Alright!! Now let's go rescue Kari!!!" Exveemon pointed a finger behind him. "Too late." Davis looked at where Exveemon was pointing at and to his dismay, Kari and Salamon were safely in the arms of TK and Angemon. Stingmon and Ken had just grabbed Yolei and Poromon.  
  
"Great...who else can we-" Before Davis could finish the question, Exveemon started to dive down. Davis hung on to Exveemon for dear life. The next thing he knew, Exveemon had stopped. The boy looked to see that in Exveemon's left fist, yellow and white fur sprouted out at the top. "Watch the tail, buddy," growled Renamon. Rika was hanging on to Renamon's left paw. "You're welcome," said Exveemon sarcastically.   
  
Takato's left arm had an iron grip around Guilmon's neck. "Hold on, Takatomon!!" The boy wanted to wail and beg for one of the Digimon gods to save him. Instead he slowly moved his right hand and grabbed the Hyperwing card. But due to the wind pushing against him and nerves that are not made of steel, the card flew straight out of his hand and straight into Henry's face.   
  
He grabbed the card and gripped it as tightly as he could. "This gives me an idea...aaahhh!!" Terriermon dug his nails into Henry's neck. "Well, you better hurry up and put your plan into motion!!" The boy quickly used the green strap to secure his Digivice to his wrist. Then he placed the Hyperwing card in his right pocket. "Get off of me, Terriermon. You're going to need room to digivolve." Terriermon gave a nervous gulp. "I hope you know what you're doing." He let go and got some distance. Henry carefully took out a card from his left pocket. "Digi Modify!! Digivolution Activate!!"  
  
DIGIVOLUTION.... "Terriermon digivolved to...Gargomon!!"  
  
The boy replaced the card and took out the other card that flew into his face. "Digi Modify!! Hyperwing Activate!!" Gargomon grew wings on his back. He quickly dived down to scoop Henry as best as he could with his machine gun arms. "Henry, hold still!!" Henry moved out a little bit and stretched his arm. "Cody!!! Grab my hand!!"   
  
Cody had his right hand holding the edge of Armadillomon's shell. He quickly stretched his left arm and caught Henry's outstretched hand. Gargomon had to summon all of his strength just to keep them in the air. "Whoa!!!! I don't know if I can hold all of you guys!!!" Armadillomon was silently praying. "To any Digimon god who's out there...if I survive this experience, I promise never to eat the mega sashimi special again...well, I'll limit myself to just once a week instead of four times a week."   
  
"We're not going to make it!!! The only thing I have to say is...it's been nice knowing you, buddy!!" Guilmon didn't give a reply. He was focused on the building that was about forty metres ahead. He started to steer his body towards the building. As soon as he was close enough, his arms shot forward. The next thing Takato knew, Guilmon's claws were embedded right into the brick wall. Takato looked up to see skid marks in the brick wall. "Owwww...that hurt..." The boy looked down and saw that they weren't too far from the ground. "Just slowly let us down for a bit. Then you can jump the rest of the way." Guilmon fought the pain in his claws as he slowly started his descent.  
  
************  
  
"Hurry up, slowpoke!!!" Kenta raced up the stairs as fast as he could to catch up with his energetic friend. "Kazu, how can you think of getting new cards now with Takato missing for three days?" Kazu readjusted his cap. "We can resume our search later. I want to take my mind off of this and see what new cards can strengthen my deck."  
  
They quickly reached the second floor and made a left turn to arrive at the entrance of the small manga and card shop. The store owner greeted them warmly. "Boys!! How are you doing? You're just in time. I just got the shipment of the new Digimon card game set yesterday. It's in the back room." Kazu gave a grin. "Thanks for letting us get a crack at the new set first, Mr. Kashinaru." The man gave a smile. "No problem!! After all, you two are my best customers. Follow me."  
  
Mr. Kashinaru unlocked the back room door and went inside. "The booster box is right inside that box over there beside the window. You can select what booster packs-" The telephone started to ring outside near the display cabinet. The man turned back to answer the phone. "Epsilon Kingdom Cards and Comics, how may I help you?"  
  
Kenta moved forward to open the box when he noticed something by the window. He looked out and gasped. "I...I don't believe it!!!! It's Takato!!!! And I think he's on a Digimon!!!" Kazu gave a start. "No way!!!!" He ran forward to see where his friend was looking at. Just below them, Takato and Guilmon were slowly climbing down the building. Kazu started to knock on the window as loud as he could but Takato couldn't hear him. Instead, the mysterious creature that he was riding on dug his claws out of the wall and let himself drop the rest of the distance. Then Takato got off him and they started to run off.   
  
"Come on, Kenta!! We've got to go after them!!!" Kazu started to run out of the back room with Kenta right behind him. They darted out of the store, flew down the stairs and ran outside. Takato and his Digimon were nowhere in sight. "Where did they run off to?" Kenta gave a shrug. "I don't remember. I was too busy looking at that red Digimon. Which Digimon is that anyway?"  
  
Kazu headed back into the building. "I don't know. Let's just grab what we came for and start hunting for Takato again. When we find him, he's going to have a lot of explaining to do." They climbed up the stairs to go back to the room which held a booster box of the new set. Instead, they found a frightened Mr. Kashinaru, who was in the grip of a tall, dark knight with a blue cape. "I swear I didn't see anything!!!!"  
  
"Wrong answer..." He raised his right arm, which had a silver and blue lance at the end and was about to strike when he noticed the two boys standing in the doorway. "Ah...perhaps you two can assist me. I'm going to ask you a few simple questions. Answer right and you get to live. Answer wrong and I'll be sending you along with this pathetic human to the next dimension." Kenta stepped forward nervously. "A-are y-y-you a Digimon?"  
  
Shadowgallantmon's blue eyes flashed for a moment. "Keep in mind that I'm the one who's asking the questions. Now...a few moments ago, I observed a very interesting mark on the wall right beside this establishment. They appeared to be claw marks. Upon closer examination, I realized that no living creature on this planet could create such a mark. The only conclusion...these are claw marks belonging to a Digimon. Did you see any Digimon outside that window? If so...which Digimon was it? And where did it go off to? I'm sure children like you who have invested time in learning the different characteristics and appearances of each Digimon would be able to identify the one who made those marks."  
  
"What do we do?" whispered Kenta. Kazu gritted his teeth. "If we're going to make it out alive...we have to tell him. I know Takato's our friend but at the moment, it's our butts on the line here." He cleared his throat before giving a reply. "We saw the Digimon climbing down the wall. I'm not sure what type of Digimon it is because I've never seen anything like it. All I know is that it's red. Me and my friend ran down to see it better but it got away."   
  
'Could it be that you are here as well? This is becoming very interesting...' He released his grip on Mr. Kashinaru. The man was unbelievably frightened but otherwise, he was okay. Kazu narrowed his eyes as sweat rolled down his cheek. "What type of Digimon are you anyway? I haven't seen you in any of the Digimon merchandise!" Shadowgallantmon turned around to go out the way he came from. He leapt out of the broken window before the boys could fire another question. 'Ready or not...here I come.'   
  
************  
  
"What do you mean you lost sight of him?!?" yelled Rika. It was at times like these when Gargomon wished that he didn't have such good hearing. Henry put both his hands up nervously. "He was right in front of me when his card blew right into my face. I was too busy figuring out a plan to check how he was doing. We should check the compass on our D powers. Hopefully, we can get Guilmon's signal." (AN: Does anyone know why the dubbers call D-Arcs D powers?)  
  
"I have a signal?" They all looked over to see Takato and Guilmon coming closer to them. Takato activated his compass and found a clump of digital signals. It didn't take too much effort to find the others. "Is everybody alright?" The Digidestined were right behind Henry and Rika with everybody now in rookie form except for Poromon. "Does anybody know where we are anyway?"  
  
Henry looked around for any type of landmark. "From what I can tell, we're close to the Meiji Memorial Art Museum. If we walk, it'll probably take us a few days to get back to our neighbourhoods. We could get some aerial transportation but we would need some way to be inconspicuous...but we can't go back to our homes yet. After all, we've been gone for about nine days!! We need to come up with some sort of story to explain for our disappearance." Takato reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. "My 'Cherrymon's Mist' can give us some cover. We can look like a cloud drifting in the sky. We can also hide out at Guilmon's place until-"  
  
Rika immediately cut him off. "Wait a minute, goggle head. Your Digimon has his very own house?" Takato rubbed the back of his head. "It's a really small shelter. I kind of found it in the park around the time you tried to kick the living crap out of us. It's not much but it's a good hiding place for Guilmon."   
  
He paused for a moment to think about what he was saying before he was rudely interrupted. "Where was I...oh, right!! We make up a story. Something like that we were lost in a weird fog for a few hours or something. And technically, we did leave our world by a portal in a digital field. After we clear everything up about our disappearance, we can figure out how to get the Digidestined back home. Until then...they're going to have to stay at Guilmon's place. And I'm going to be honest...it's no first-class hotel room."  
  
Davis gave a depressed look. "You mean we can't stay in one of your houses or something? After all we've-" Henry gave a sigh. "I'm sorry, Davis. But it's kind of crowded in my house. There's me, my parents, my younger sister Suzie, my-" "They get the picture, Henry!! Besides, your Digimon partners would probably find his home a living nightmare with Suzie constantly squeezing them to death, dressing them in diapers, calling you 'Princess Prettypants'..." Gargomon gave a small shudder.  
  
"And I don't think I can help either. My mom has strict rules about bringing strangers into the house. I can't even keep a pet!! That's why I had to find a shelter for Guilmon," said Takato. "I can take them in." All eyes turned to Rika. "My mansion has a few guest rooms. You can stay in there for the time being. Now all I need is for my mother to be out of the house. If you come around and she sees you, who knows what could happen."  
  
************  
  
"Here you go, Jerri. The chicken pies may still be a little hot since they just came out of the oven." Mrs. Matsuki handed the bag full of treats over to the young girl. "Thanks. It must be real tough to continue going on with your normal routine with a loved one missing. Have you heard anything about Takato yet?"   
  
The woman lowered her eyes. "Nothing yet. The police said that they'll contact us if they find anything. I just hope that Takato can come home s-soon." She tried to hold back a sob but it still came out anyway. "I'm sorry...it's just that with all this going on..." Jerri gave a reassuring smile. "I'm sure that everything will work out." She left the bakery with the bag secured in her arms.  
  
As she walked down the park, munching on an egg tart, she started to think about Takato's recent disappearance. 'Takato...I hope you come back soon. Everything's been crazy. Miss. Asashi had been giving serious thought about resigning her teaching job. Kazu and Kenta have been protecting your card box with their lives. And your parents...their egg tarts haven't had that special zest in them...' "Hi!!!!" She stopped suddenly and looked around. "Who's there?"   
  
"Down here, silly!!!" She looked down to see a small, white creature with green eyes, large ears and a red triangle on his forehead. He took a whiff at the aroma the treats were giving off. "Can I have some of your delicious snacky stuff? Can I? Can I? Can I?" Jerri stepped back nervously. "Who are you? What are you?"  
  
"My name's Calumon!!" This triggered a vague memory inside the girl's mind. A while ago, Kazu, Kenta and Takato were talking about why all Digimon names end with the word 'mon'. She looked at the small creature again. "You...you must be a Digimon!!" Calumon started to bounce up and down, trying to get his hands on the bag.   
  
Jerri couldn't help but give a small giggle at his childish attempts to get the bag. "If you want some treats, then you will have to say please." Calumon stopped jumping. "Can I please have one of those...um....treats?" The girl gave a smile before she reached into the bag. She pulled out a raisin bun and handed it to the small Digimon. "Thank you!!!" He took a huge bite out of the bun.   
  
************  
  
'This isn't good...his resurrection is at hand. Already, his presence is altering the dimensional pathways. Once he forms, he will decide who gets in or out to the real world or the digital world in all of our realms. All of our work would be for nothing!!' "Sovereign!!" A voice interrupted Zhuqiaomon's thoughts. The phoenix cocked his head over to where Indramon and Majiramon were waiting along with the other devas upon a small ledge over a pool of lava. "We detected two humans inside our realm. They both had partner Digimon," stated Indramon. This brought upon a gigantic reaction from most of the other devas.   
  
"S-s-so? Did you des-s-stroy them or what?" hissed Sandiramon. Mihiramon gave a chuckle. "Had they did, they would have reported it immediately. This is a first...a Digimon who refuses to be chained to a human partner shows mercy to two low lifes and two traitors." Indramon snorted. "You can blame Majiramon for that. He decided that we should investigate how they got here...considering they were not on the Sovereign's list."  
  
A general murmur swept throughout the group of twelve. The Sovereign had compiled a list from his observations on the human world of potential humans who would gain Digimon partners and resist the new order. Kumbhiramon fired a question immediately after he digested this new information. "So why didn't you destroy them? That way, they will not present a security risk." Before any of the other devas could ask questions, Zhuqiaomon spoke. "Describe these humans and their companions."  
  
"One of them wore a hat...I believe he had blond hair. It appeared that the Patamon was his Digimon partner. The other one has short black hair in a cut that kind of made him look like a girl...anyway, with the way the insect Digimon Wormmon was acting towards him, we had to conclude that he was the partner of the boy. And then there was the small white Digimon. An in-training Digimon...who was bathed in the glow of the Holy Beasts," finished Majiramon. The phoenix narrowed his eyes. 'How did Azulongmon's chosen arrive in my realm? And also, how did the holy fairy of evolution end up with them?' "So what is to be their fate?" asked Vajramon.  
  
"At the moment, they are to be left alone. There is another, more pressing concern. A great evil is about to awaken. He is more despicable than the humans since his sole purpose is to destroy all of reality as we know it. He presents a threat to everything we've accomplished...we must attempt to eliminate him before he is at full power. You know what you must do. Dismissed." The devas gave a final bow before leaving the phoenix alone with just his thoughts.   
  
Near the phoenix, a motorcycle was surrounded by the fire which burns in the hearts of those who ride it. 'There is still some time. However, I may not be able to find a Digimon who will be able to use this weapon. Only a demon lord Digimon can use this. As far as I'm concerned, there are no demon lord Digimon that I have access to. And what of Ryo Akiyama? Even with his Goliath set and Cyberdramon, it may not be enough should the skirge transform to his most powerful form. And if that happens, may the heavens have mercy on us all.'  
  
************  
  
"Well...we made it. It took us a few hours and the major wind changes didn't help but we made it none the less." Takato beamed at the fact that they all made it to the shelter from one of his ideas. TK readjusted his hat while cradling a pooped out Patamon. "The problem is that your plan nearly wiped out our Digimon!! It was hard enough for them to digivolve with their low energy levels. They also had to fly in sync with the mist which kept blowing away thanks to those windy gusts!!"  
  
Henry began to speak. "None of us knew that it was going to be a windy afternoon. Now, the three of us are going to head out and try to clear up the matter of our disappearances. You just try and sit tight for a while. We'll be back as soon as we-" Before he could finish, a gust of wind blew in a magazine that appeared to be missing a few pages and its jacket. It flew up and hit Guilmon in the face. "Aaahhhh!! Who turned out the lights?!?"  
  
Davis took the magazine from Guilmon's eyes and started leafing through it. "Cool!! This looks like some sort of gaming maga-" An image caught Yolei's eye. "Wait!! Go back to that page!! Right over there, just past the...auuggghhh!!!" She swiped the magazine from Davis and flipped over to a page. "Just what is this?" Her finger pointed to an article. To be more precise, a review for the complete Digimon Season 2 DVD.   
  
Cody took a quick look. "It appears that we're famous here. They've made several historical re-enactments of our adventures in the digital world...I think." Yolei wasn't convinced. "Since when did historical re-enactments include commentary from the writers of the program? It says that their commentary includes an in-depth analysis of each character." Cody was at a loss for words.   
  
"Well...the writers were probably-" Before Henry could finish speaking, Rika tapped him on the shoulder. "Now that they're on our turf, they're going to be exposed to the fact about who they really are. It's better if we tell them now. They are going to find out eventually. If not now, then from something else. An advertisement, an article and whatever other Digimon stuff is out there." Henry looked around to see that each Digidestined child was watching him and waiting for an answer. "I was hoping that you wouldn't find out. If the situations were reversed, you may have done the same thing. In our reality, all of you exist only as fictional characters."  
  
The Digidestined just remained stunned as their partner Digimon started sleeping. Davis was the first to react. "You gotta be kidding...right?" A flash of anger reflected in Ken's eyes. "You mean all the suffering I have caused as the Digimon Emperor came from the twisted mind of some writer on your world?!?"   
  
Kari fought to get out her next question. "All of our hopes, dreams, adventures...everything that made us who we are...our whole lives were all just entertainment for you?" "T-there's nothing left..." Cody just left his sentence unfinished with reality starting to sink in. Yolei started to mumble. "This isn't happening...I'm going to wake up now in my bed and see Poromon bouncing on me, asking me to get breakfast..."  
  
TK directed his statement straight at the boy who delivered the unfortunate news. "I thought that...by now we had earned your trust." Henry shook his head. "It wasn't a matter of trust. We weren't going to shatter your dreams of a good life but now that you're here...for what it's worth, I'm sorry." TK lowered his head. "So are we."  
  
Rika crossed her arms. "Come on. We should give them some time to think alone and be in each other's company. Besides, we have a family reunion to get to and I want to get that over with. Renamon...look after these guys until we get back. Get what they need to make it through the next few days or so." The fox Digimon nodded. Takato turned over to Guilmon. "You have to stay here and help protect them until I get back. I promise to bring you a whole bag of bread...along with peanut butter!!" He got no response as the virus Digimon was already drooling from the idea of having peanut butter. Terriermon remained motionless as he is going to have to play the stuffed animal when the tamers have their reunion. The tamers looked back one last time before heading into the outside world to resume their lives.  
  
  
Well...nothing much to say except Canada edged the United States for the gold medal in Women's Ice Hockey by a score of 3 to 2. A commendable job to all...hopefully the Canadian men can learn something from these gold medalists. Anyway, I told you that I would eventually get to this issue. I don't know a heck of a lot about the story behind the Digimon Wonderswan stuff but I'll try my best!! 


	24. Third Configuration, Section Four

Author's Notes: Beelzemon?!? What was so wrong with Beelzebumon?!? Why did the dubbers decide to drop a part of the name?!? I guess I should have expected something like this. They did it with all of the Devas. Like Antiramon to Antylamon.  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Some other stuff comes from Premier School Agendas. Don't sue!!!!  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 3.4  
  
"Cameras are on in 4...3...2...1..." The cameraman activated the broadcasting system as the reporter started to read the news for the noon hour news broadcast. "Now in local news, the three children who have been missing for the past few days have miracously returned unharmed. Takato Matsuki, Rika Nonaka and Henry Wong returned last night to their homes and their families. We were able to get them to answer a few questions after they delivered a statement to the police."  
  
They started to play the footage that was taped this morning. It started with Henry and Takato with their families coming out of the police station after giving the police a statement. In the background, they could hear Rika protesting. "Mother!!! I'm not going to wear this stupid dress on national television!! It's degrading!! If I had known you were going to do this when I got back, I might as well have remained missing!!!" The older woman pushed a dressed up Rika on to where the others were placed. Henry and Takato forced themselves not to laugh, knowing that Rika would send Renamon after them if they did. "When you are in front of a professional camera, you are supposed to be formally dressed, young lady. Your two companions have obviously been a bad influence on you. Besides, we have to get that camera test done right after this and your disappearance threw the schedule way off."  
  
Before Rika could start arguing, the questioning began. "Could you please tell us exactly what happened on the day of March 24, 2005 when you disappeared?" Takato looked over at Henry and started whispering. "We were gone for that long?!? I thought we were gone longer!!" "I'm guessing that time on our world runs differently than time in their world," whispered the other boy. (AN: There's a reason why I set the date this way. You'll find out eventually...also by this time, the cards in the game should have little bits of circuitry on their edges so they can be scanned in the readers. Something like this was revealed when the people at Nintendo announced they would be creating the special cards for the Pokemon trading card game for additional statistics on the Pokemon in the video game)   
  
"I'm having trouble understanding you. Can you please speak into the microphone?" Henry gave a small gulp before speaking. "It's kind of difficult to explain. We're having trouble understanding it ourself." "What exactly do you mean difficult to explain? Just tell us what you remember!!"  
  
The boy was at a loss for words and started feeling queasy. Takato noticed this and quickly took the microphone from Henry. "This is what I remember. Me and my friends were just getting some fresh air as it's spring and all. We were right by my school when this weird fog rolled in. We got lost in it and remained lost for a few hours. Then all of a sudden, we ended up somewhere else. We went home and everybody exclaimed that we were missing for quite some time."   
  
The other two tamers looked at Takato, amazed at how he was able to think up a story right on the spot "Are you saying that your disappearance was caused by a meteorological phenomenon?" Takato gave a small laugh. "All I know is that the fog did all this stuff to get us missing. That's all I can say-" Mrs. Matsuki took the microphone from his hand. "And that's all anybody can say. These children have been through enough trauma already. They should be focusing on getting things back to normal and catching up on their schoolwork. Good day."  
  
More reporters tried to ask questions but everybody was being escorted off. The footage ended and the screen switched back to the main news room. "Scientists have begun designing equipment to track down and study these phenomena. Keep watching for further developments on this story. In other news, Satashi Kashinaru, the owner of a local comic shop, has been attacked by a-"   
  
Yamaki pressed a button to turn off the television. 'Those children who were missing got lost in a digital field?!? They're hiding something, I'm sure of it.' He pressed a button to activate a communicator. "I want surveillance teams on stand by to keep an eye out on those three children who recently reappeared after vanishing in the digital field." "Acknowledged."   
  
The man turned to one of the technicians. "What's the status of the Juggernaut program?" The technician looked down at his notes on his clipboard. "Installation of the secondary power generators is complete but some of the power relays are not at 100% efficiency. We can begin testing the program in about three days, sir." A dark smile crept up on to Yamaki's face. 'Soon, the world will be rid of this digital pestilence once and for all.'  
  
************  
  
"But Mrs. Matsuki!! It's an emergency!!" The woman gave a small cross look at Kazu and Kenta. "Until Takato catches up with his school work, he can't have any friends over to see him." Kenta quickly tried to think up of an excuse to go see him. "We can help him out on some of the stuff that he missed!!"  
  
She took a tray of freshly baked buns out and prepared to place them for display. "That's very nice of you to offer, boys. But Takato said he's doing fine by himself. In fact he said that some of the stuff is easy for him." Kazu's jaw dropped. "Since when did Takato become a math wizard? It took me an hour to do each page we were assigned!! Those problems are crazy hard!!" The two boys decided to check up on their friend later.   
  
Upstairs, Takato Matsuki scribbled down the answers to the math problems that he had to catch up on. 'It was lucky for me that I did all of this stuff when I went to school with the Digidestined. I would probably be stuck up here for hours doing all this!!' He quickly finished answering the last few questions before placing his pencil down.   
  
'Now that everything's caught up, I should phone Henry and Rika. We need to have a meeting with the Digidestined and try to snap them back to reality. Now where did I put their numbers? They gave them to me last night and I jotted them down as soon as I got home!! I can't have lost them already!!' He found the piece of paper that he was looking for. 'Bingo!!'  
  
The phone rang four times on the other end before someone answered it. "Hello?" The voice on the other receiver sounded like a little girl. Takato double checked to make sure he called the right number. "Um...is Henry there?" "Yep!!!" The line remained silent for a few moments. Takato broke the silence. "Can you get him on the phone?"   
  
"Why?" The boy gave an irritated sigh before talking again. This time, his frustration was evident in his tone. "Look, just get him on the phone for me, okay?" The other end didn't reply until he heard the little girl shout. "Henwy!!! There's some angwy kid on the phone!!!" "I'm not angry!!" protested Takato.  
  
He heard another voice at the end of the other line. "Thanks Suzie. Why don't you go play with Terriermon?" There was a bit of giggling at the other end as Suzie went to find Henry's 'stuffed animal'. "This is Henry. Who is this?" Takato started to speak. "It's me, Takato. I was wondering...actually we should start thinking of whether we should search for Calumon."  
  
"Calumon should be fine. Remember when we first found him? We tried to find him a tamer but he seemed perfectly fine by himself. Who really knows how long he's been out in our world?" Takato tapped his fingers on his desk. "Yeah...but what if we run into some nasty Digimon? We need him in order to have our Digimon digivolve to ultimate."   
  
Henry gave a small cough. "When we get to that situation, we'll deal with it. Now if you excuse me, I have a report to write on how modern Japan differed from the Japan that had ninjas and samurais. I'll catch you later." The other boy was about to hang up when he remembered why he called in the first place. "Hey, wait!! We need to have a meeting at Guilmon's place this afternoon to discuss how we're going to deal with depressed Digidestined. I'm not sure what has to be done to snap them out of this."  
  
"Well, I would suggest finding something in the Digimon show that proves that they make a difference. You can also see if the program actually makes a difference here. How it changes things for the better, stuff like that. Hopefully, that would restore their confidence in themselves. It's all about philosophy and psychology. After I'm done with my stuff, I'll see what I can do about this." A small smile came across Takato's face. "Okay, Henry. I'll do some checking on this end. See ya." He hung up as he looked at the paper again to check Rika's number.  
  
Inside the Nonaka residence, an old woman had just turned on the computer when the phone close to her started to ring. "Hello?" A male voice started to stammer at the other end. "Um...hi. Is...uh...Rika available? I would like...to talk to her." "I'm sorry but she's out with her mother. They haven't returned since this morning-" She heard a door open as Rika entered the house with her mother behind. "Just stay right here, darling. After I find the catalogue, we can go shopping!!" The girl gave a small groan.  
  
"Actually, she just came back. If you would hold on for a moment...Rika!! Telephone!!" Rika walked over to one of the phones while her mother searched the living room. The elderly woman got up from the computer to let her granddaughter be alone with the caller. "Honestly, Rumiko. You shouldn't force Rika to do all this. She doesn't have any dreams to be a supermodel like her mother." (AN: Did I get the name of Rika's mother right?)   
  
Rumiko brushed a lock of her gold hair from her face. "I only wanted to get a simple camera test and help start a solid relationship between her and the agency in case she changes her mind about modeling in the future. Instead, she caused a whole lot of grief for Coco and the entire crew. I'm trying to bond with her, mother, but she keeps pushing me away." She paused for a moment to hear a part of Rika's conversation. "I wonder if it's because of that friend she refers to as 'goggle head'." Her mother gave a disapproving look. "It's not polite to eavesdrop on someone else's conversation. You have to remember that as a good parent, you should encourage her to find a path that's suitable to her. Sometimes doing what's best for them doesn't always work. I know."  
  
"I'll be there. See you in a bit, goggle head." Rika replaced the phone's receiver before heading to her room to change. 'I owe you one, goggle head. This emergency meeting just got me out of an afternoon of shopping with my mom!!' After a moment, she emerged from the room, dressed in her normal attire. She glanced over to her mother. "I have something important to take care of with my friends. We'll have to cancel the shopping trip."  
  
Rumiko started to get a little worried. "I don't mind cancelling the trip but you shouldn't go out again by yourself!! What if one of those...fogs roll in again?" Rika held up the cell phone. "I'll call in once an hour to tell you I'm alright. Now I really have to get going. I'll see ya later."   
  
"Just one more thing, Rika. I've been thinking about a few things lately and..." Rumiko had to choose her words carefully if she was going to make a connection with her daughter. "I didn't realize how much you meant to me until you vanished a few days ago. I was hoping that through our journey to get you on the road to modeling that we could bond but it seems that didn't work too well. So I was thinking that we could do something special. Just the two of us. No cameras or any of that stuff. Can you please give me another chance to show that I care about you?"  
  
The girl remained silent for a few moments before speaking. "The night I got home, I didn't really expect to see you there. You were supposed to be travelling throughout Europe, modeling top designer clothes. It was practically the chance of a life time. But when I saw that you were willing to stay behind and give up the tour just for me, I had a feeling that you cared more than you were letting on. I would like to give this a try but at the moment, my friends need me. Let's just take this one step at a time, alright?" She gave a small smile at her mother before heading out.  
  
************  
  
Armadillomon had a small panicked look on his face as he glanced over at a depressed group of kids. "I don't know what to do. They've been like this ever since we woke up. What has gotten into them?" Hawkmon started thinking. "We all fell asleep when we got back to this shelter. Then something happened to our partners. Perhaps the tamers can shed some light on this matter. More specifically, their partner Digimon."  
  
Gatomon shot a dangerous look at Guilmon. "Okay, you red dino!! What the hell happened last night?!?" The virus Digimon gave a nervous gulp. "Um...uh...I can't remember!! I was too busy thinking of Takatomon bringing peanut butter!!"  
  
"What's going on here?!?" They all looked to see Renamon at the entrance of the shelter. "We're hoping that you can tell us," mumbled Wormmon. The fox Digimon glanced over to where the humans huddled in a corner, lost in their own thoughts. A small look of understanding came upon her face.   
  
"Your friends have recently been exposed to some rather disturbing news. They found out that they were characters of fiction in this world." Patamon gave a puzzled look. "But what I can't understand is why this is affecting them so much. I mean we could have done worse like drop into a world that is being controlled by someone who loves massacres."  
  
Renamon paused for a moment. "Humans have a strong connection with who they are and the things that they do to make a difference in their own lives as well as the lives of others. By knowing that they are characters of fiction, they will undoubtedly feel like everything that has happened in their lives and everything that they have done was all for nothing." Hawkmon narrowed his eyes. "So if our partners are fictional characters, then we must be fictional as well. The question is why are we still acting normally?"  
  
"Digimon have been accustomed to being ignored by humans. In your case, the digital world and the real world is kept completely separate. Only the Digidestined know about you. Here, Digimon give children something to play with. They don't suspect that Digimon are very much living beings." Veemon tried to digest this information before speaking. "So how do you deal with it?"   
  
Renamon wasn't completely prepared for that question so she had to think up of a response before replying. "The only certain way to know that I exist is if Rika believes that I'm real as well. As long as I have that, it does not matter what everybody else says."  
  
************  
  
"Calumon!! Where are you? I brought something from my dad's restaurant if you want to try it!!" Calumon came bounding out of the forest to meet Jerri. "You brought something? What is it, huh?" Jerri smiled as she unwrapped the package. Inside lay a bento box with various foods inside.   
  
Calumon grinned as he started to devour some sushi. "You are the nicest human I've ever met!!! Just as nice as Takato!!" Jerri gave a start when she heard his name. "You know Takato too?" The small Digimon nodded. "He was really nice but I always thought he was weird. It was like there was always something bugging him. At least his Digimon is normal. Guilmon really knows how to play!!"  
  
'Takato has a Digimon?!?' Jerri didn't know what to do when Calumon stopped eating and spread his ears. "I see something that may look like a lot of fun!!" He started moving past Jerri. The girl quickly repacked the bento box. "Calumon!! Wait up!!!" She started to follow the small Digimon into a mysterious thick fog, otherwise known as a digital field.   
  
************  
  
Rika tapped her foot as she waited for the other two tamers to arrive. A little while later, she saw Takato and Henry running up, with Terriermon on Henry's shoulders. "What took you guys so long?" Henry took a few solid breaths. "Well, I needed to figure out a way to help the Digidestined recognize their worth. Plus, I had to wait until Suzie fell asleep so I could get Terriermon." The vaccine Digimon gave Henry a small glare. "You know, you shouldn't have asked Suzie to go play with me."  
  
The trio made their way up to the shelter where the Digimon were gathered in front of the entrance. Guilmon gave a grin. "You finally came, Takatomon!! Where's the peanut butter?" Takato gave an apologetic look. "We were all out and I couldn't find the time to grab some on the way." Guilmon's face fell. "Ah, nuts."   
  
Rika turned to Renamon. "How have they been doing?" Renamon gave a small sigh. "It looks like that they haven't been eating or sleeping much. That's typical with depression." The girl gave a small snort of disgust. She walked over to where the other Digidestined were wallowing away in self pity. "You guys are supposed to be the Digidestined children!! As protectors of the digital world, you should know how to overcome any obstacle, physical or emotional!!! Now you waste away just because of one little shocking fact that you would eventually have to face when you got here!!!!"  
  
Ken looked up with his eyes almost reflecting the intensity he expressed as the Digimon Emperor. "How can you deal with something like this when everything you knew and believed in turns out to be false? How can you live with the fact that someone else is controlling every aspect of your life?" Terriermon clutched his head. "Momentai!! Geez, all these philosophical questions are giving me a headache!!"  
  
"We can't control your lives. Only you can. What you guys have been doing in your world is living normally like you were in control. All we did is bring what we believed about life in your world to television. And as fictional characters you have made a difference in our world. We've been basing our lives on the traits of humanity that each of you represent: Courage, Friendship, Love, Knowledge, Reliability, Sincerity, Hope, Light and Kindness. In a way, you have become the backbone of our society. It may not look that way on the surface but that is how everyone feels inside their hearts." Henry paused for a moment. "Look inside yourselves and your hearts. If inside you feel certain that you exist, that you made a difference in your lives as well as the lives of others, then it doesn't matter what anybody else says. As long as you know that you are inside the hearts of others, then you have successfully passed on a legacy that can be enjoyed for generations to come."  
  
Each Digidestined child remained stunned at Henry's words. Before they could start speaking, Takato stepped forward. "There is an interesting saying that goes like this: The only person who can take away your hopes and dreams is yourself. Do you know who said that?" Davis got up slowly. "Well...actually no."  
  
Takato continued to speak. "I'm sure that someone else said it before but the first time I heard it is when it came out of the mouth of Davis Motomiya. That was the basis of what unified your digital world with your real world. If you guys didn't believe in that when it counted, then everything would have been lost. We live out our life as we believe in living it. But should one live without belief, that is a fate more terrible than dying. Life is always worthwhile as long as you believe in how you are living it."   
  
Rika whirled Takato around. "Who are you and what have you done with the real goggle head?" Takato gave a sheepish grin. "Well, since we were going to be debating philosophy and stuff, I checked my school agenda. You wouldn't believe what interesting things are in there. I found a long quotation from Joan of Arc about belief and so I kind of stuck the idea in my head."  
  
One by one, the other Digidestined got up. It appeared that some confidence was restored in them. "So we can really make a difference here?" asked Kari. Before the tamers could reply, their Digivices started to react. A wild look flashed in Guilmon's eyes. Rika quickly checked her compass on her Digivice before speaking. "If you want to make a difference, here's your chance. A wild Digimon just appeared in our world and it probably wants to cause some trouble. You in?" The other Digidestined looked at each other. TK had a look of determination on his face. "Let's go!!!"  
  
They all raced out of the shelter and moved to where the digital field has appeared. Rika and Henry placed their sunglasses on while Takato placed his goggles over his eyes. Davis, not sure of what to do, did the same. When they finally made it through, the atmosphere looked dark. "Whoa...it's like night time here!!" remarked Yolei. "Help!!!!!" A shrill cry broke the silence. Cody gave a gasp. "That sounded like Calumon!!"  
  
When they arrived at the source, they saw a purple imp creature with his foot on Calumon's back. A ball of fire floated on his right glove. "It's time to dish out your punishment for being a cute accessory to that human girl over there!!!" Takato looked over to see Jerri in the clutches of another Digimon. He looked like a white gargoyle Digimon. A deep growl came from his throat as he raised his right arm. "Gargoylemon doesn't like humans..." Jerri let out a scream as the Digimon prepared to rip out her heart from her chest.  
  
  
I'm so sorry about the delay!!! A combination of schoolwork, projects, lack of time and a small bit of writer's block slowed me down. Hopefully, I can pick up the pace a bit. I was thinking of calling the other Hypnos operator Megan which is somewhat similar to Megumi, if that is her Japanese name. Well, we finally get to check out the Dragon of Purgatory in a bit. Hopefully, they can squeeze in the transformation when Takato and Guilmon become Gallantmon. I was planning to make this chapter longer but I decided to save some of the other stuff for the next chapter. I know that it should be Jeri not Jerri but I don't think it really matters. That's it for now... 


	25. Third Configuration, Section Five

Author's Notes: Just a few things to say. I plan to refer to Megumi, the other Hypnos operator, as Megan since at least I could make a reference. Also, I don't exactly remember all the specific details about Gargoylemon's attacks so I'm going to make some stuff up. Last but not least...can someone please tell me what the Queen Device does? I want to have an idea of what it does in the game so I can incorporate it in here.   
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Please don't sue!!   
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 3.5  
  
In the depths of the flames that surround Zhuqiaomon, the phoenix Digimon who guarded the Southern sector of the digital world, the motorcycle known as Behemoth started roaring louder than usual. The phoenix Digimon looked down at it. The only possible explanation that would get the motorcycle excited is if a demon lord Digimon was somewhere near by. 'It senses a potential rider...' Zhuqiaomon tried to focus his senses on the position of the demon lord Digimon. His eyes finally found a small purple imp Digimon engaged in some sort of battle on the human world.  
  
'Under normal procedures, he would have to be willing to sacrifice everything that he already is in order for me to upgrade him to mega level and have more control. However with the rate of Millenniumon's awakening increasing rapidly, I must approach him quickly. I may even have to give him full control over his power. But no matter. As long as he completes the business at hand and does not attempt to dominate the digital world...should he become a problem to the humans, they can deal with him.' A dark chuckle came from Zhuqiaomon's throat, clearly showing evidence of his corruption due to the renegade D Reaper program.  
  
************  
  
"So he is on the brink of resurrection...I knew I should have brought up the matter with Kimeramon's data floating freely around!! If everything is destroyed, then it will be my fault..." Azulongmon closed all four of his eyes in guilt. Before Ebonwumon could start speaking, Baihumon stepped in front of him. "If you must blame someone, blame me. I told Azulongmon that there was nothing to worry about and that the data could not take a physical form."  
  
Ebonwumon gave a small sigh. "I have had no interest in playing the blame game and I'm not about to start now. What matters is how we resolve this situation. Since Millenniumon is forming within Zhuqiaomon's realm, we must speak to him at once. But I have sensed that he is behaving oddly lately. This has me worried...it may also explain for his absence at the last meeting."  
  
"This is just great...if my chosen are stuck in his realm, then not only will they have to face a synthetic mega Digimon that can transform into a god but a somewhat corrupted and possibly insane Digimon sovereign. What else can make this better?" asked the dragon sovereign sarcastically. Baihumon thought for a moment. Then a thought came to the holy beast's mind. "Hey...I think Ryo Akiyama went back to Zhuqiaomon's realm after the tournament..." All of Azulongmon's eyes widened. "Ryo!!!!"  
  
************  
  
"Guilmon!! We have to save Jerri!! Ready?" The virus Digimon gave a nod. Takato whipped out a card. "Digi Modify!! Hyperspeed Activate!!!" The next thing Gargoylemon knew, he was tackled on the side. Jerri collapsed to the ground in fear with Guilmon standing protectively in front of her. Henry checked his Digivice to get some data. "Gargoylemon, an armored Digimon. Virus type. When he activates his Great Cyclone attack, his aerial speed and manoeuvrability are tripled with the high amounts of wind." Before Henry could finish reading the description, Gargoylemon launched an attack.  
  
Impmon looked up from what he was doing. "Huh? More Digimon serving the humans?!? Am I the only Digimon here with enough dignity to-" Before he could finish his rantings, Renamon took the opportunity to sneak up behind Impmon and grab him by the back of his neck. He struggled to get out of her grip. "Let go of me, fox face!!!!"  
  
Rika checked the data given by her Digivice. "Impmon...virus type...special attack is Bada-Boom...he's only a rookie!! He's not worth fighting." Cody looked at the small virus Digimon. "Why are you picking on Calumon? What has he ever done to you?" A small 'yeah!!' came from Armadillomon in the background.  
  
Impmon gave a shrug. "I really don't know. It's just survival of the fittest. Nature taking its course. I'm the stronger one so I should eliminate that weakling." Renamon narrowed her eyes. "Picking on the weak and innocent is dishonourable. Only a coward would perform such an act."  
  
Rika gave a small grin. "Maybe we should be calling you Wimpmon!!!" Davis gave a loud laugh. "Wimpmon!! That's a good one, Rika." Impmon started to feel embarrassed with all of the humans taunting him now. Renamon decided to toss him aside so they could help the others with Gargoylemon.  
  
"Guilmon!! Hang on buddy!!" Takato had to finish scanning the new armored Digimon to get an idea of an attack plan. "Gargoylemon's other attacks are Black Statue and White Statue which can tap into both the dark and light energys of his enemies and drains them of it, leaving them as stiff as statues! This Digimon can be formed with Veemon armor-digivolving...with the Digiegg of Light?!?"   
  
"I better go in there and help Guilmon," stated Terriermon. He hopped off Henry's shoulders. "Wait!! I have an idea...since it's night time, I believe you can finish Gargoylemon off before he knew what hit him!!" The vaccine Digimon started to understand where Henry was getting at. "Okay, Henry. Let's give this a try!!" "Digi Modify!! Digivolution Activate!!"  
  
DIGIVOLUTION.... "Terriermon digivolved to...Blackgargomon!!"   
  
"Gargo Laser!!!" Blackgargomon fired several shots at the white Digimon trying to slash Guilmon. They bounced off without doing much damage. "Uh...Henry? A little help here?" Henry concentrated as he started to swipe the next card through his Digivice. "Digi Modify!!! Matrix Digivolution Activate!!"  
  
MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION.... "Blackgargomon digivolved to...Spectralrapidmon!!"  
  
The ultimate Digimon quickly aimed a kick at Gargoylemon's head and sent him flying. "Rapid Fire!!!" The missiles were right on target but they weren't effective enough to bring the virus Digimon down. Spectralrapidmon used his speed to get up close. "Tri Beam!!!!" Gargoylemon gave a chuckle as he blocked the beam with one hand. "Beam from freak Digimon can't hurt Gargoylemon."  
  
A small vein popped over Spectralrapidmon. "Freak Digimon?!?!? Look who's talking!!!!" Henry looked at his Digivice again for some answers. Spectralrapidmon shook his head in disbelief when another Rapid Fire didn't give him a scratch. "I don't get it!! Those attacks were right in his face!!!" His tamer started to go pale at what he saw next. "The combination of the power from the Digiegg of Light with the being of darkness created an extremely powerful armor. Only a mega Digimon can have any effect against him. Regardless of how many armored, rookie, champion or ultimate Digimon against this powerful armored Digimon, he will always pull through...we've got to get him out into the open into the daylight!! I have an idea!!"  
  
Spectralrapidmon started backing up slowly now with Gargoylemon fixed on him as a target. "I really hope you know what you're doing this time!!" He made his way out of the digital field with Gargoylemon following him. "Let's go, Renamon!!" Rika started to run after Gargoylemon. Takato wanted to help fight but first he had to comfort a hysterical friend.   
  
Jerri couldn't feel her own body after tha trauma that she went through. "Jerri!! Jerri, speak to me!!!" The voice sounded so familiar. Slowly, she regained her senses. She saw several children standing over here with weird...monsters on their shoulders. "Aaaauuggghhh!!" She scrambled on to her feet as fast as she could. "Jerri?"  
  
The girl looked over to her left and saw a familiar face. The next thing he knew, he was the recipient of a giant bear hug. "Takato!! T-there was this b-big white m-m-monster and...and..." She couldn't stop her stammering. "Jerri!! It's going to be all right. I'm going to stop that monster. These guys can protect you while I'm away."  
  
"Wait a second!! I'm coming with you!! I need to do something to help!! If that monster stays out there much longer, he can hurt a lot of innocent people!!!" Takato noticed Davis clenching his hands into fists. "Count me in too!!" Ken stood up with renewed courage on his face. "I have to prove that there's more to me than what your writers think!! Besides, if things get messy, we can use Paildramon to cover for us!!"  
  
Takato thought about this for a moment before nodding. "And Calumon needs to come in order to help us digivolve...alright. But the rest of you stay here and protect Jerri. We need to keep her far away from the battle so that she won't get hurt. Davis, Ken, Calumon...let's go." The three boys along with their respective partners started running in the direction where Gargoylemon disappeared off to. Calumon rode on Guilmon's back.  
  
The cyborg Digimon finally emerged out of the digital field in broad daylight. Henry found his way out and took off his green sunglasses. "Once he gets out in the light, he should have a little bit of...what?" Gargoylemon emerged from the digital field. A few moments passed and nothing happened. Henry had a small look of disbelief. "But I don't understand!! According to legends, gargoyles turn to stone during the day!!!"  
  
"Great Cyclone!!!" A huge funnel of wind came up from nowhere. Gargoylemon took off into the sky with amazing speed. Spectralrapidmon tried to get moving as well but Gargoylemon had the field advantage. "Black Statue!!" Before Spectralrapidmon could react, the beam hit him square in the chest and started draining him of his dark power, forcing his black armor to revert to its normal green color. "White Statue!!" Rapidmon slowly started transforming back into his rookie form. He couldn't move a muscle thanks to those two attacks.  
  
The wind started dying down as the attack duration started coming to an end. Before Gargoylemon could attack again, Renamon delivered a high jump kick to knock him off balance. Rika came out and checked her own Digivice. "There's gotta be a weakness on this guy...what do we have here? This looks like some sort of prophecy...ah, crap. It's just like Venommyotismon all over again. Just why is there a prophecy here anyway?"   
  
Henry was still lost in his own thoughts. "Let's see...we have a gargoyle Digimon who is not affected by daylight. The reason must be the Digiegg of Light acting as some sort of protective charm..." Rika gave a growl. "Einstein!! We could really use a hand here!!" Gargoylemon prepared for another Great Cyclone.   
  
"Vee Laser!!!" The attack came from the digital field and distracted Gargoylemon long enough for him to see Exveemon charging out. Henry started going through Gargoylemon's profile. "I guess they also placed mythological data about this guy as well as normal scientific statistics..." His Digivice started displaying the mythological data.  
  
'To vanquish the beast, it must fight the champion it could have been. The champion must be aided by the knights of Courage and Friendship in order to separate what should not have been made.'  
  
'What does this mean?' Henry looked over at where Takato and the others came out of the digital field. Exveemon had sent Gargoylemon down with one punch. The armored Digimon looked a little tired. "This isn't going to take very long!!" boasted the champion Digimon. He went into a dive but Gargoylemon sprang back up, collided his knee into Exveemon's stomach and elbowed him down to the ground. "I stand corrected."  
  
'Fighting the champion it could have been...? Let's see. This guy comes from Veemon using the Digiegg of Light...the champion must be Exveemon!! And the knights of Courage and Friendship must be Flamedramon and Raidramon!!!' "Davis!! Give Rika your Digiegg of Friendship so Renamon can armor-digivolve!!" Davis looked over at Henry. Before he could ask why, Henry shouted "Just do it!!" The other boy shrugged and took out his D terminal to summon the Digiegg. Rika took the Digiegg carefully. "Here goes nothing. Digi Armor Energize!!!"  
  
ARMOR DIGIVOLUTION....   
  
"Renamon armor-digivolved to...Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!!" Raidramon fired an energy blast straight at Gargoylemon. "Thunder Blast!!!" Gargoylemon had to move back to compensate for the recoil. Henry gritted his teeth. "It's not enough!!! We need to get Flamedramon into the fight!!" "Great Cyclone!!!" The wind blew the D terminal right out of Davis' hand. Takato dived to catch it before it blew away.  
  
"Thunder Blast!!" "Vee Laser!!!" The two attacks cut through the cyclone to hit Gargoylemon. He narrowed his eyes. "Black Statue!!" Exveemon had to get out of the way. "White Statue!!!" Raidramon leapt back and prepared to counterattack.  
  
Ken narrowed his eyes. "They can't keep this up forever!! We've got to take him down now!!" Henry secured Terriermon before rejoining the others. "I believe I've deciphered that prophecy but we need Flamedramon to make it work. And unfortunately, I don't think the Clone card would help in this scenario."  
  
Takato was about to return the D terminal back to Davis when he felt a small surge of energy coming from within the machine. It appeared that the Digiegg of Courage was reacting to him. But how? He walked over to where Davis and the others were. "Hey, Davis? Can you let me try something with the Digiegg of Courage?" The other boy took the D terminal. "Sure...but I don't see what it can do now."  
  
The Digiegg of Courage formed from the D terminal. As soon as Takato touched it, it started glowing a faint orange. Henry gave a small gasp. "The Digiegg of Courage is responding to Takato!! How is that possible? And more importantly, why?" Takato gave a shrug. "I don't know but I'll just have to see what happens when I say...Digi Armor Energize!!!" Calumon fell off of Guilmon when he had to shield his eyes after a great light erupted from Guilmon's body.   
  
************  
  
"We must find a way to aid the chosen in the upcoming battle. But with Millenniumon regaining his power, he is also regaining control of the gateways between our dimensions. It will be only a matter of time before he renders us powerless to do anything," stated Azulongmon grimly. "His senses are becoming more sharp. He can detect any anomaly within the gateway's flow. If we attempt to send something to help the children, such as a digi core, Millenniumon will not hesitate to destroy it," added Baihumon.   
  
Ebonwumon closed his eyes in deep thought. Slowly, an answer came to him. "We can decompile the digi core into fragments. Millenniumon won't be able to distinguish them from normal data flows between the dimensions. Then they must be sent to someone who can reconstruct the digi core and deliver it to the chosen. We will require one of your digi cores for your chosen, brother Azulongmon. But as for the tamers, they will be on their own until we can find out what has happened to Zhuqiaomon."   
  
Baihumon narrowed his eyes. "And who can reconstruct the core? Can this being be trusted? There are too many risks with this plan, Ebonwumon. How can we be sure of its success?" The turtle Digimon paused for a moment. "There is a human inside Zhuqiaomon's human realm. He already has some knowledge about us since he participated in the project which gave birth to the Digimon in Zhuqiaomon's realm. As a skilled programmer, he puts in a lot of time to try to acheive the goal that we share: the Digital Revolution. He created the algorithm that allowed Digimon and humans to come together. All we did was select who would be at the head of the Digital Revolution. He is known by his peers as Shibumi."  
  
************  
  
Exveemon gave a start when he noticed the bright glow on the other side. "Hey, what's happening?!?" Raidramon stopped her assault on Gargoylemon to see Guilmon's body erupt in a burst of light. The other armored Digimon had realized that a window of opportunity had opened but could not bring himself to take advantage as he too was curious about what is occurring.   
  
ARMOR DIGIVOLUTION.... "Guilmon armor-digivolved to..."  
  
His shape began to change and grow. His red appearance disappeared and he began to form blue skin. A small orange chest plate with a somewhat fiery design formed above his stomach. His eyes changed from yellow to red. Clawed gloves with the same fiery design appeared as did foot wear with sharp claws representing toes. A mask with a giant blade on the top finished the look.   
  
"...Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!!!!"  
  
  
I had a different ending in mind as I was originally planning to make this longer but I've decided to cut some stuff out that can be saved for next time. Well...I've seen the whole bio-merge thing. I wonder if Henry and Rika have to go through the same thing as Takato did. And I expected Gallantmon to sound different instead of having Takato and Guilmon speaking at the same time. It just kind of lowered my expectations a bit. I would like to say thanks to Super saya-jin Gotan for providing me with a link to an old copy of Megchan's Digimon Sekai. Unfortunately, the link has been terminated but at least I got some information about attacks, names and different things. Now that you've seen Gallantmon, just remember to replace red with blue, white with black, yellow eyes with blue and you get Shadowgallantmon (Chaos Dukemon). And if you forgot about Blackgargomon and Spectralrapidmon, you might want to take a look at the Second Configuration again. That's it for now! 


	26. Third Configuration, Section Six

Author's Notes: There's a segment in this chapter about fanfics and other general stuff referring to the Digimon stories here in FanFiction.Net. I'm not making any specific reference nor do I have any intention of offending someone. But if I did, I'm sorry.  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Please don't sue!!   
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 3.6  
  
When everything had settled, the tamers along with everyone else in the vicinity except for Gargoylemon, Calumon and Flamedramon had a look of pure shock. Flamedramon looked at himself. "Is there something wrong, Takatomon?" asked the armored Digimon in his childish voice. He held out his arms. "Oooohhhh...I got cool gloves like that other guy!!"  
  
Takato couldn't hold in his excitement much longer. "This...this is unreal!!! I have a Flamedramon of my very own!!!!! This is so cool!!!!" Rika started scanning the new version of Flamedramon. "Hmmmmm...he has all the qualities of the other Flamedramon with attacks, speed and other stuff...it says here that he is a data type." Henry gave a small smile. "At least we fulfilled the conditions to this prophecy!! We have to finish him off now!!!"  
  
The virus armored Digimon quickly attacked. "Great Cyclone!!" Exveemon and Raidramon got out of the way. Flamedramon started running towards the battle area. "White Statue!!!" Gargoylemon fired a beam directly at Flamedramon. He leapt to the right. Exveemon placed his hands together as a stepping stone for Flamedramon. "Alley Oop!!!" Soon Flamedramon had gained enough height to soar just above Gargoylemon. His body burst into flames as he dived down. "Fire Rocket!!!" Gargoylemon was knocked down but still remained in the air. Exveemon took this opportunity to go after him.   
  
Gargoylemon noticed this and tried to fly high but Exveemon grabbed his leg and tossed him down to the ground. "Vee Laser!!!!" "Thunder Blast!!!" Flamedramon held up his right arm. "Fire Rocket!!!!" The three attacks merged together to form a ball of energy that ripped right through Gargoylemon. He had no time to scream as his data dissipated and became absorbed by both Raidramon and Flamedramon.  
  
As soon as Flamedramon finished uploading the data, Takato ran up to give the armored Digimon a huge hug. Then he started twirling him around in a 'ring around the rosie' fashion. Flamedramon couldn't help but express the joy and excitement his tamer felt. Rika walked up behind Raidramon. "Typical goggle head...hey, are you alright?" Raidramon gave a small sigh. "Peachy." Rika raised an eyebrow. "I beg your pardon? Is there something wrong?"  
  
Raidramon tried to put on her usual unemotional face. "Nothing at all, Rika. Just thinking of some things such as why Guilmon was able to armor-digivolve." Rika gave an understanding nod. "That's practically the million dollar question of the day." Raidramon remained silent. 'My personal life has just become a lot more complicated...'  
  
The digital field started to dissipate as the threat has now been resolved. "Takato Matsuki!!!" The boy stopped dancing and came face to face with a calmer and somewhat more angrier Jerri. He gave a nervous laugh. "Hey...what's up?"  
  
TK and the others ran up from behind. "As soon as she calmed herself down, she got mad and ran like crazy in your direction!! Sorry we couldn't stop her," wheezed Armadillomon. Ken gave a smile. "Don't worry about it. Gargoylemon got dusted by Exveemon, Raidramon and Flamedramon." "Flamedramon?!?!" Now it was their turn to have a look of pure shock on their faces.  
  
"Ever since I met Calumon and he told me that he knows you, I knew that you were in the centre of this Digimon mess!!! So I want to know exactly what's going on!!!!" Takato raised his hands in surrender. "Calm down, Jerri!! I know this is freaking you out...um...you don't watch Digimon, don't you?"  
  
Jerri paused for a moment. "Come to think of it, I only watched one episode. I didn't like it very much so I never watched it again. Digimon are weird...but now that they're real and here, I should start getting to know them better! Where's your Digimon?" Flamedramon was about to reply when he changed back to Guilmon. The Digiegg of Courage went straight back to Davis. Raidramon changed back to Renamon as well. "I guess you can say hello now...but it's going to get dark in a few hours. Why don't you swing by the bakery tomorrow morning and we can talk or something."  
  
The girl didn't reply as she was focused on the red Digimon behind Takato. He gave an awkward 'hi'. Jerri squealed in delight. "Wow!!! This is your Digimon?!" Takato beamed with pride. "Yep. Pretty cool, huh?" Jerri threw her arms around Guilmon's neck. "It's so adorable and cute!!"  
  
"Cute?!?! You mean cool, right?!? If you want cute..." Takato took this moment to borrow Patamon from TK. "...this little guy would be more suitable!!" Jerri giggled. "I guess but your Digimon looks so innocent and young!! Like a giant baby!!" Guilmon blinked. "Well...I have been here for about...um...a month? I think..."  
  
************  
  
In another part of the park, some distance away from the tamers and the Digidestined, a small lone Digimon was sulking about how loyal Renamon and the others were to their partners. "Damn it all!!!! Can't they see how humans will eventually betray them in the end?!? If I'm going to drill this lesson into their heads, then I need more power!!! Then I can teach those digi pets a thing or two about siding with humans!!!"  
  
A small flash of light appeared at his right side. Impmon stopped his rantings to see what exactly was this phenomenon. A voice boomed from within the light. "Are you the one called Impmon?" The rookie Digimon narrowed his green eyes. "Yeah. What's it to you?" Before he knew it, the light turned into a vacuum and sucked him inside. The portal quickly shut as soon as he was inside.  
  
'Very curious indeed.' Shadowgallantmon came out of hiding after observing Impmon getting sucked into that portal. 'A portal leading to another dimension sucks up a rookie level Digimon. And what of that fog? I could have sworn there was a battle but when I get there...silence. The battle had already been won by someone.' The dark knight gave a small amused chuckle. 'My, my...this world is full of little mysteries. If there are powerful forces here, perhaps I should consider the direct approach to flush them out.'  
  
************  
  
"You know, you guys don't have to walk us home. We'll be fine by ourselves," stated Rika in a monotone. Terriermon was flexing his muscles, testing to make sure that the statue effect had worn off completely. "Well, it would be pretty rude not to escort a lady back to her home." Rika gave a snort. "I already have Renamon. I don't need you goofballs."  
  
Terriermon just thought of an interesting point. "I was wondering...why are you still helping us out? You said that the alliance would be terminated when we got back home." Rika wasn't prepared for that question and had to think up of an answer. "Well...so far it has been an adventure of a lifetime. And Renamon did learn how to digivolve all the way up to ultimate when we were with you. I also have a personal policy to always finish what I start and the adventure is far from over with the Digidestined in town. Besides, I want to stick around so I can throw more insults to goggle head over there."  
  
Takato gave a sigh. "Girls...I just can't understand them. They have these mood swings...just like Jerri did. First she was scared. Then mad. Then all peachy when she saw Guilmon and called him cute." He got hit in the back of the head by Rika. "Sorry. Mood swing." Yolei decided to slap Davis at the back of his head. "Ditto."   
  
Henry cleared his throat. "Look, Rika. All we want is to make sure they get to your place safely without causing any commotion. Do you know what could happen if people found out that Digimon are real and that the Digidestined are in town? Guys would be drooling over Kari and Yolei and they would try to score a date through extreme measures. Girls would be mobbing Ken, Cody and TK because of their charming good looks..." Davis started glaring at Henry. "...and Davis of course."   
  
Davis ceased his glaring and stretched his arms. "I guess that's the price to pay for being famous. Yeah, it's not the typical fame. I mean, it was pretty weird and frightening at first knowing that you're fictional characters in this world. But now, you can achieve instant fame just by proving to the world that you actually exist from a world in which they originally thought was a fantasy. Hey...what type of stuff about us is out there other than TV shows?"  
  
Takato started to think. "Let's see...your Digimon and your Digivices are part of the card game. And in some cases, some of the Digidestined appear as program cards. You are on posters, movies, some comics, magazines..." Henry raised a finger. "Don't forget fanfics on the internet!!" The other boy blinked. "Fanfics?"  
  
Henry continued speaking. "They're short for fanfiction. You see there are a lot of fans out there who wanted things in the show to be different. They're not satisfied with what they see on television so they write their own stories on how things should have been." Rika just shook her head in disbelief. "Whoever has the time to read and write fanfics needs to seriously get a life." (AN: I bet all of you can feel her glaring at you right now)  
  
"You don't have to put it down, Rika. Fanfiction is becoming increasingly popular as it brings people around the world to share ideas about a particular subject. It also acts as a way to socialize. If you went on the internet, you can easily find a ton of fanfics."  
  
Before Henry could continue, Kari interrupted him. "What type of fanfics are there about us? How many are there?" Henry started thinking. "There are more than twenty thousand stories on one site alone. I would approximate that stories concerning the characters from the TV show make up at least 90 % of the overall total. There are a few Digimon tamers stories based on the card game like this one story which uses journal entries as a form of narration. Quite an interesting perspective. Other than that, it's just stories based on season 1 and season 2 of the show. As for the types of fanfics, you do get in a lot of crazy situations. Parodies, game shows, adventures-" "Romance?!?" Yolei had a starry look on her face. Henry laughed. "Yes...even romance."  
  
"Who gets together with who? Do I get to find the guy of my dreams?" The boy was starting to get a little disturbed with Yolei's enthusiasm towards romance. "Well, there are several different types of couples out there. Tai with Sora, Sora with Matt..." "Tai and Matt." Henry gave a small start while Terriermon snickered silently. Fortunately, Kari and TK weren't paying too much attention. "I beg your pardon?"  
  
Henry was about to speak when Davis interrupted him. "So are there fanfics in where me and Kari become a couple? Man, I have got to read those. See how I did it and do the exact same thing!!" Yolei started laughing. "You and Kari? Together? I don't think there is a person who thinks that you two would go together."  
  
Takato raised his hand meekly. "Actually, I think it might be able to work out. If Davis can learn how to be more sensitive...chicks dig that stuff!! I think..." Rika rolled her eyes. "Why am I not surprised? Whoever writes stories about Davis making it with Kari and Tai making it with Sora must be like you, Takato." She raised her fist in a mocking manner. "Goggle heads around the world...unite!!"  
  
Henry waited after Rika finished her ranting. "Believe it or not, there are stories that involve Davis and Kari getting romantically involved." Terriermon had a small gleam in his eye. "And there are some stories that involve Davis spending some 'quality' time with the guys...if you know what I mean." The Digidestined simply had confused looks.  
  
The boy picked up Terriermon from his head and walked a little further ahead to speak to him quietly. "You know you don't have to start telling all the guys that they were central characters in homosexual romance stories!! I never expected someone like you to be reading this sort of stuff!!" The little vaccine Digimon gave a grin. "What's wrong, Henry? Love is love. It doesn't matter what gender you are. If the feelings of both partners are genuine, then the opinions of others shouldn't matter."  
  
"I think I'm starting to know why there are a lot of these stories on the net. Frankly, I don't care what you do on the net as long as you don't discuss it in public!! Homosexuality isn't the type of thing people want to talk about openly. They usually go to special places for that." Terriermon crossed his arms. "Fine...let's see how they react to crossbreeding." Henry sighed. "You are one queer Digimon, you know that?"   
  
"Hey, where did Calumon go?" asked Cody. Takato turned around to face the other boy. "I told you already, he's a guy who likes to be free. Don't worry about him, he'll be fine. I just hope that when we're in trouble, he comes along to help our Digimon digivolve...hopefully, he'll be somewhere safe."  
  
************  
  
"So where is this great enemy that the Sovereign ordered us to fight?" asked Pajiramon. The twleve Devas had been searching the digital world to locate Millenniumon but for someone who is supposed to have a lot of power, he is difficult to find. Antylamon narrowed her eyes. "We must keep looking. For every second that passes, he regains more power."  
  
"Perhaps we should split up into groups. That way we can cover more ground," proposed Caturamon. Majiramon started thinking if it was a good idea. But before he could give an answer, the ground began to shake. Out of nowhere, the synthetic Digimon pops up from behind them. He was a larger version of Kimeramon but he was grey and black with red eyes. Bits of machinery replaced some of the original organic parts. He appeared to be a little unstable. "I d-don't think that will b-be necessary. Maka!!" squeaked Makuramon.   
  
"Split up!!!" One of Millenniumon's arms shot out to grab Vikaralamon. The pig Deva started frantically squealing. "Positron Pulse!!!" Sinduramon tried his attack but Millenniumon completely ignored it. Antylamon had a grim look in her eyes. "We're too late..."  
  
In another part of the digital world, Ryo Akiyama rode on Cyberdramon's head, looking for some clues as to Millenniumon's whereabouts. 'For something of this magnitude, usually one of the Sovereigns would have contacted me. With my record against Millenniumon, they would surely send me straight to him to fight. Azulongmon, Baihumon and Ebonwumon must have their hands full in their realms...and Zhuqiaomon has always felt contempt for humans. Even when I stopped Millenniumon before, he still didn't really like me. But this is a situation that is more important than racism...'  
  
************  
  
The phone inside the Nonaka mansion started to ring. Rumiko picked it up. "Is Miss Makino there? It's Mr. Fujiyiko." She made a mental note to remind the studio to stop using her maiden name. "Yes, this is Rumiko. What do you want?"   
  
Outside, Rika was mentally preparing herself to ask her mother to let the Digidestined stay for some time until they can send them back. That meant revealing Renamon and the truth about what really happened. If her mother wasn't so sharp eyed about the Digimon TV show like her grandmother...Rika took a deep breath before going in. She saw her mother...packing? "Mom? Where are you...?"  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry, honey. I know we were supposed to spend some quality time together but I got an emergency call from the agency. I need to go on a tour that will last a week or so since Keiko got injured." A small smile formed on Rika's face. "Don't worry about me, mom. Just go out there and do what you do best. And when you get back...I'll still be here."   
  
Rumiko placed the last suitcase down before giving Rika a hug. "Thanks for being so patient with me, Rika. I'll make it up to you, I promise. And if you plan to go out, call your grandmother once an hour." She quickly grabbed her bags and dashed out the door.   
  
Rika followed her mother out and waved as the taxi disappeared from sight with her mother waving back. "Renamon...the coast is clear. You can bring them in now." The Digidestined quickly snuck into the gardens. Rika approached her grandmother nervously with the other kids and Digimon behind her. "Um...grandma? I have some friends here who just came into town. They need to use the guest rooms for a bit."  
  
The old woman looked at these kids. They looked awfully similar to those kids she saw her daughter and granddaughter watch on television. And their stuffed animals almost looks alive. "You do bear a very good resemblance to those kids on television." Rika started to mentally panic as she came up with a good excuse. "Um...uh...I met them at a Digimon convention. They won the best prize for character impersonation!! With the hair cut, the eye colour, the clothing...they even bought a life like Digimon partner and D3!"  
  
"Well, I guess it's alright with me as long as their parents won't mind. It's nice to know that you're meeting interesting people, Rika." Rika gave a small sigh of relief as she led the other kids to their guest rooms. They all shouted at the same time "Thanks!!" at Rika's grandmother.  
  
Rika started assigning rooms for her guests. "This is how it's going to be. Davis and Ken get this room. Yolei and Kari sleep there. TK and Cody can have this room. One person at a time for the baths and showers. No peeking at any of my stuff. And we're going to have to change your identities so you can go out into our world unnoticed but we'll save that for later. Any questions?" Davis raised his hand. "Um...I don't suppose you have spare clothes or anything...um..."  
  
"Kari, Yolei, you can use my closet of doom...that's where I keep all the dresses and girlish clothes my mother gets for me. Although I have no idea why I don't throw them out...as for the four of you, my father's closet still has some stuff in it. You can check there..." The sudden thought of her father nearly brought a tear to her eye. She walked away before any of the Digidestined could notice her reaction about her father.  
  
************  
  
"Hello? Where the heck am I, huh? Answer me!!!" The virus rookie Digimon had been floating around for some time. He could notice whispering in the distance. Impmon tried to strain his ears to hear it but had no luck. A loud roar that came from what sounded like a machine echoed in the world. Then the voice he heard in the portal started to speak again. "I apologize for the inconvenience I've caused you. I would also like to express my congratulations." Before Impmon could ask why, a hole opened underneath him and he dropped into a pool of lava. The last thing he saw before surrendering to the darkness was a giant phoenix hovering over him. "You've just been drafted."  
  
  
I read some other tamers stories and all of them had Terriermon as the oddball of the bunch. So he was the natural number one choice for expressing a liking to those yaoi stories. I seriously don't see the other side of the rainbow. There is no indication of yaoi in the show except for that one moment when Tai and Matt held hands to give each other faith in the fight against Venommyotismon. Other than that, I don't see why Digimon can get so many yaoi stories. I remind you that I mean no offense or anything. 


	27. Third Configuration, Section Seven

Author's Notes: I've always wanted to do a little Star Trek thing so I'm writing a segment of what's cooking in my head regarding Trek. It's not the typical Trek since I've decided to use the Weatherlight crew from the trading card game I play. They just fit as the crew of a starship!!  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it. Star Trek belongs to Paramount. The original Weatherlight characters and other concepts belong to Wizards of the Coast. Please don't sue!!   
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 3.7  
  
{Captain's log, Stardate 59035.2...it is the one year anniversary since the beginning of the war between the Federation and the Phyrexian Alliance. I have taken this opportunity to create a special memorial service for the crew members who died in the line of duty during that year, including Lieutenant Mirri and Ensign Ertai...} Her log entry was interrupted when the room shook. Sirens and red lights started filling the ready room.  
  
"Red Alert!! All officers report to battle stations!!!" Captain Sisay exited her ready room to the bridge.   
  
"It's another Phyrexian attack," mumbled her first officer, Gerrard Capashen. The bridge shook again as the Weatherlight took another shot from the enemy vessel.  
  
"Shields are down to 68%. Our weapons are having little effect on the Phyrexian shields," reported Lieutenant Commander Tahngarth, the Minotaur chief tactical officer.  
  
Sparks flew out from behind the operations console as another torpedo hit the ship. Lieutenant Hanna quickly started pressing keys to activate emergency procedures. "We have a hull breach on deck 10!! Emergency force fields are in place!!"  
  
"Helm, lay in a course that will take us back to Federation territory. Warp Nine," ordered Captain Sisay.  
  
Ensign Squee, the Goblin chief pilot, frantically tried to activate the warp engines. "Unable to comply. The starboard nacelle took some damage. Attempting to compensate." He tried to hold on as the bridge shook again.  
  
Captain Sisay narrowed her eyes. 'How the hell are they passing right through our shields?' "Tahngarth, remodulate the shields!! Helm, evasive manoeuvres!!"  
  
"Initiating evasive sequence epsilon 2."  
  
The bridge shook again violently. One of the bridge officers got tossed back as the console exploded in her face. Commander Capashen quickly checked on her. "Bridge to transporter room 1, we have a medical emergency and I need a site to site transport for Ensign Lunar. Have Dr. Orim on stand by."  
  
Sweat rolled down the captain's face. "Bridge to engineering, I need warp power!!!"  
  
"Unfortunately the Phyrexian weapons have knocked out our warp engines. We will require at least two hours for repairs," stated Lieutenant Karn, the golem chief engineer.  
  
Sisay swore quietly before giving another order. "Helm, lay in a course heading 052 mark 349. Full impulse!"  
  
Hanna paled at the sensor readings. "Captain, that takes us straight into-"  
  
The bridge shook again as another shot was fired. Tahngarth checked the statistics. "Shields are down. Impulse engines have been disabled as well as thrusters. Weapons are off line." A small beep came from his console. "We are being hailed by the Phyrexians."  
  
"On screen..." The screen changed from the view of a ship to a familiar face. Captain Sisay wasn't too surprised at who hailed them. "Crovax...it's been some time since we talked. I'm curious...you've only been on our ship for a month before the Phyrexians took you. You should have realized that we would change our strategies. How were you able to match them so precisely?"  
  
The face on the screen smiled, revealing his fangs. "Actually, it wasn't me. We found a former crew member of yours..." Another figure with several arms came into view.  
  
Commander Capashen gave a small gasp. "Ertai?!? But I thought his body was vaporized on Skyshroud two days ago!!"  
  
Crovax continued grinning. "It was...most of it. We were able to save the head and a few parts. Some spare limbs and our reanimation technology did the rest. And as a new member of our society, he was more than happy to assist us in capturing you and this...Nebula class starship."  
  
"Close the channel." Tahngarth pressed a key to cut off the link. Captain Sisay sat down in her chair, thinking. After two years of service, the USS Weatherlight, NCC-9366, is going to be captured. 'Not if I can help it.' "Computer, initiate the self-destruct sequence. Authorization: Sisay Alpha One Nine. Set it to one minute." The ship shook again as the Phyrexians activated their tractor beam. "...enable."  
  
TO BE CONTINUED...  
  
~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!~!  
  
'Whoa...now that is some good stuff.' The human known as Shibumi stretched back before moving his mouse to close the fanfic window. 'I should check up on my e-mail before getting back to work.' He activated the e-mail login and punched in his password. A new message appeared in his inbox.   
  
'That's odd. There's no indication of where it came from. What if it's a virus?' He checked the bottom right corner of his screen to see that the virus shield logo was there. 'I do have my anti-virus program on line and ready...let's see what this says.' Shibumi clicked the message and was startled to receive the following message by the Eastern, Western and Northern Digimon Sovereigns.  
  
{To Mizuno...or Shibumi rather,  
  
Ever since the team known as the Monster Makers created the first Digimon in the Southern region, they have evolved and grown more powerful up to a point where some of them have emerged in your world and found human partners. And it is you that must be thanked for your efforts in driving humanity towards the Digital Revolution, the time when humans and Digimon can coexist and possibly find the next stages of their own evolutions. Unfortunately, a powerful force is on the rise and is most likely to endanger this goal. We require your assistance now more than ever. Attached to this letter are fragments of data, that will form a digi core. We have formatted it so the codes would be similar to that of your mathematical algorithm. Once the core has been constructed, deliver this to the son of your former associate, 'Tao'. Simply tell him that this is from Azulongmon. He will understand. The rest is now up to you. Good luck.  
  
The Eastern, Western and Northern Sovereigns}  
  
Shibumi hesitated for a moment before he scrolled down the screen. Sure enough, an attachment was found. He opened it to see several codes which have been disassembled. He immediately started transferring them for analysis.  
  
************  
  
"Takato!! Jerri's here to see you!!" The boy gave a sigh before going through his little plan one more time. 'She only wants to know about Digimon. It's not like I'm going to tell her...whatever. Let's just get this over with.' Takato went down the stairs and quickly said a good bye to his parents. When he got out, he received a little shock. "Kazu?!? Kenta?!?! What are you guys doing here?!?"  
  
Jerri had a small uncomfortable look on her face. "Sorry, Takato. They just popped out of nowhere." Kazu stuck his face right near Takato's. "Okay, chumley!! We know you're hiding a Digimon somewhere!! So spill it!!! Where did you really go when you disappeared?!? Where did you find that Digimon?!?"  
  
Takato tried to sputter out a response but couldn't do much. Kenta adjusted his glasses. "Yeah!! Why do you get to be a Digimon tamer? What makes you so special? Who was that Digimon anyway? I don't think I saw him on any merchandise." The goggle headed boy brushed Kazu aside and looked at Jerri. "I didn't say anything!! I swear!!"  
  
"I frankly don't know why I was chosen. It just happened. My partner's name is Guilmon and...I created him with my imagination." Kazu and Kenta just looked at him in disbelief. "You created your very own Digimon? Man, that is so cool...if I could do that, my partner would be ten times as strong as Omnimon or something," muttered Kazu.   
  
Kenta gave a nod in agreement. "A Digimon ten times as strong as Omnimon...he would have definitely beaten that Digimon in the comic shop." Takato gave a start. "Digimon?!? Who was it? What did he look like?" Kenta stroked his chin. "It was just after we saw you and Guilmon outside the window climbing down slowly. We tried to go after you but you were too far ahead. When we came back, this big Digimon, that I've never seen before who was dressed in black armor and a blue cape, threatens us to send us to the next dimension-"  
  
"No!!! He made it here after all!!! This isn't good..." Takato shakily reached for his D terminal but Kazu interrupted him. "Who was that big black guy anyway?" The other boy had to count to three inside his head before taking out the D terminal. "He's the dark version of Guilmon's mega form. His name is Shadowgallantmon and he's bad to the bone. I have to call the others and arrange a meeting."  
  
"Wait a second!! There are other Digimon tamers too?!? We're coming to this meeting to see everybody and I mean everybody!!" Takato gave a sigh, knowing that Kazu and Kenta would stick to him like peanut butter. He continued typing his message and sent it to the other tamers and Digidestined.  
  
************  
  
"How do I look?" Davis checked himself out in a tennis t-shirt and long khaki shorts that ended just below his knees. Veemon gave a thumbs up. "You look absolutely great, Davis!! I bet you could score some points with Kari or something!!" Ken finished placing on his new black t-shirt that went with his black pants. He gave a grin. "Veemon's only saying that so he could get a treat later."  
  
The two boys along with their respective partners exited the room after they placed their D terminals on their waists with their D3s. TK and Cody greeted them outside. TK still had his hat but he also had a green jacket on with a white t-shirt underneath with a pair of jeans finishing the new look. Cody simply wore a cap along with a yellow sweatshirt and track pants.  
  
A moment later, Kari and Yolei came out, dressed in their new clothes. Yolei had a red vest on with a pink t-shirt and denim shorts with a heart on one of the back pockets. Kari had a sleeveless white shirt with a pink skirt that went down to just above her knees. TK started to stammer a bit. "K-Kari. You l-look beautiful." She gave a small blush. "Hey!! I was about to say that!!" whined Davis.  
  
Their D terminals started to beep, signalling that a message has just been received. All of the Digidestined children opened it to the monitor. "Emergency meeting at Guilmon's place, come ASAP. Takato. PS...Jerri, Kazu and Kenta are with me waiting for you guys. They know about the Digimon already. Any Digidestined reading this should change his or her identity to keep things a secret."  
  
Yolei started getting a starry look in her eyes. "Man, this is unreal...a whole new world to explore where we're all famous fictional characters!! Now I get to have a new identity, a whole new way of living!! When we're in public, you can call me..." "Mandy." The purple haired girl snapped out of her trance and noticed that Rika had just came out.   
  
"Davis is David and ditch the goggles. Kari is Karen, TK is TJ, Ken is Ben and Cody is Ian. Get that through your heads and let's go." Rika headed towards the front door. She turned around to give her famous icy glare. "Are you coming or not?" Each of the Digidestined recovered from that momentary lapse in concentration and followed the Digimon Queen.  
  
************  
  
Kazu and Kenta stared in awe and amazement as they laid their eyes on Takato's partner. "At this size, I would have thought of him to be at the champion level, at least!! But you're saying that this is only his rookie form?" Takato grinned. "That's right. So what do you think? Pretty cool, huh? For some reason, Jerri thought he was cute." Kazu gave a start. "Digimon are not cute!! Sure, they start out that way for a bit but they transform into cool fighting machines!!"  
  
"What do you get as a tamer other than a Digimon? Do you get cool stuff like the Digidestined or something?" Takato showed them his Digivice. "I got this cool Digivice that not only allows me to scan Digimon like the Digimon Analyzer but this little part here...when I use a card from the card game, Guilmon gets that ability."  
  
Jerri was happily playing with Guilmon when she started hearing him growl. His eyes have turned somewhat wild. "T-Takato...Guilmon's acting weird..." The boy recognized that look and took out his D terminal. "Change of plan. Meet at digital field. Emergency discussion after wild Digimon is taken care of." 'That makes two digital fields in the last two days...I wonder if there's something going on in the digital world.'  
  
Kazu grinned. "Are you saying that there's going to be a real battle somewhere here? This I gotta see!!" Takato flashed an angry glare. "You are not coming, period!! This is no longer a game!!! It's real and it's dangerous!!! And real lives are on stake here!! If any of you came and got hurt, I could never forgive myself...Guilmon, let's go!!"  
  
************  
  
"How much further? I hate acting like a stuffed animal!!" Yolei ignored Hawkmon's grumbling and kept on running. The group had been following Renamon's instincts about the location of the new digital field. As soon as they found the fog, they could hear shouting within. "Can't last much-" A loud noise drowned out the shouting. The group had to step back so that they wouldn't go deaf.   
  
"Hey!! I think that sounded like Henry's voice! I can't quite figure out the other one," exclaimed Gatomon. Kari looked down at her Digimon partner. "Are you sure?" The vaccine Digimon pointed to her ears on her head. "What do you think these are for? Decoration purposes?"  
  
When they all went inside, they found two Digimon hovering over an unconscious Henry Wong and an exhausted Terriermon. One of the Digimon looked like a weird blue bat with red wings. The other one appeared to be an insect humanoid with firey looking butterfly wings and other bits of armor with the same design. They both looked up in alarm at the intruders. Cody clenched his fists. "Get away from our friend!!"   
  
Rika took out her Digivice. "The little blue bat is Pipismon, an armored Digimon. Data type. Special attacks...Sky Suplex and Quixotic Sonic. The other Digimon is Shadramon, a virus armored Digimon. Special attacks...Flare Buster and Psychic Wave. Note: they can combine the Quixotic Sonic and Psychic Wave to create a sonic wave..." (AN: The original Japanese attack names for Pipismon were Sky Jacker and Crazy Sonic) "Pyro Sphere!!" A blast of red energy collided right into Shadramon, forcing him back. Takato and Guilmon were on another side of the digital field.  
  
"It's about time you guys showed up..." Renamon gently picked up Terriermon as the Digidestined hurried to get Henry out of the battle. Everyone else had digivolved to champion form except for Gatomon who simply armor-digivolved. "You were foolish in thinking that you could take on two armored Digimon at once." The vaccine Digimon gave a small grin. "Well, Henry knew these two armored Digimon...kind of. They were the key Digimon in his very first deck in the card game. Henry said Pipismon could be made from Patamon using the Digiegg of Love to armor-digivolve and Shadramon comes from Wormmon using the Digiegg of Courage. He was hoping to find a weakness but we underestimated their combined attack power..."  
  
"Hand of Fate!! Hyaaahhh!!!" Angemon fired a beam of energy at Pipismon. The armored Digimon suddenly seemed to disappear. The next thing Angemon knew, Pipismon grabbed him from behind. "Sky Suplex!!" He dived towards the ground and slammed Angemon down. (AN: Kind of like Garuda's Power Fusion Attack)   
  
Shadramon was proving himself to be a handful. "Flare Buster!!" Multiple fireballs came and attacked Stingmon, Exveemon, Nefertimon, Ankylomon, Aquilamon and Growlmon. Davis whipped out his D3. "You guys need to DNA digivolve if you're going to stand a chance!!" Nefertimon transformed back to Gatomon. At that moment, Pipismon flew up behind Shadramon. "Quixotic Sonic!!" "Psychic Wave!!!"  
  
The combined attacks created a sonic wave that gave splitting headaches and made everyone dizzy immediately. Stingmon and Exveemon couldn't concentrate hard enough to DNA digivolve to Paildramon. "Does anyone have earplugs or something?!?" yelled Davis. Shadramon and Pipismon took that oppotunity to attack. "Flare Buster!!" "Sky Suplex!!" Exveemon, Aquilamon and Stingmon were the unfortunate victims of the attacks as they transformed back to their rookie forms.  
  
Cody tried to apply some of his grandfather's meditative techniques. He closed his eyes and focused his efforts. He soon found that some of the dizziness has passed. The boy started talking to Ankylomon. "Ankylomon...try to picture yourself...somewhere calm. Don't worry about anything...else." Ankylomon tried to shake off the vertigo by using the same meditative technique. "This is a surprise, considering how much you worry. You know, Cody, this isn't exactly the best time to do this."  
  
"You have neglected a key fact that if we attempt to fight the attack directly, the dizziness and headaches will undoubtedly increase. If we are going to battle these two, we must find a moment of clarity." TK overheard Cody talking to Ankylomon about finding clarity. 'Clarity...' "Angemon...we need to focus on finding our inner clarity if we're going to stand a chance against that combined attack!!" A moment later, the same thought was running through the heads of TK, Angemon, Cody and Ankylomon. 'Clarity...' They didn't even notice their D3s reacting.  
  
"Ankylomon..."  
"...Angemon..."  
"...DNA digivolved to...Shakkoumon!!!"  
  
The two armored Digimon were startled by the sudden arrival of the ultimate. TK gave a small gasp. "Unbelievable...all I was thinking about was finding that inner clarity!" Shadramon and Pipismon prepared to attack again. "Quixotic Sonic!!" "Psychic Wave!"  
  
The sonic wave hit Shakkoumon but he didn't seem to be affected at all. "You can no longer deliver me into vertigo now that my mind is clear!! Justice Beam!!!" The red energy beam slammed into both Digimon and they were thrown down to the ground. What nobody noticed was that the beam appeared to have partially neutralized the sonic wave, allowing partial relief for the others. Growlmon got up as well as Takato. There was still a bit of pain but they could fight again. "Let's finish this, Growlmon!! Digi Modify!! Viral Boost Chip Activate!!"   
  
"Pyro Blaster!!!" The energy blast ripped through Pipismon but Shadramon got out of the way. Unfortunately, Shakkoumon was ready for him. "Kachina Bomb!!" (AN: Is that how they did it? I honestly don't remember) The disks that flew out collided in Shadramon's face and stomach. His physical form disappeared into nothing but data. Growlmon started absorbing all of the data.  
  
The effects of the sonic wave had dissipated and everyone was feeling normal again, except for Henry who remained unconscious. Davis ran up to TK and Cody. "Man, if we waited much longer, we would have ended up unconscious!! Thanks for the save, TK!!" "No way!!!" The group looked over to see Kazu, Kenta and Jerri who had just watched everything. Rika went up to slap Davis at the back of his head. "The one time you get TK's name right, it had to be in front of them!!"  
  
************  
  
Ryo Akiyama narrowed his eyes to try to see further ahead. "Are you sure we're going in the right direction, Cyberdramon?" The dragon Digimon gave a small grunt. "I feel some strong powers coming from that direction..." He stopped and started growling. Before Ryo could ask why he stopped, he noticed something coming towards them. A loud screech was heard as dust flew everywhere.  
  
The boy started to cough as he tried to see what happened. When the dust cleared, a Digimon on a red motorcycle was facing him. The Digimon had three red eyes on a dark blue helmet. He wore clothing similar to a biker. A shotgun rested on his left leg and on his back. The Digimon gave a nasty grin as he reached for the gun behind his back. "First, I get an enormous power boost from some big bird. Now I get a human loving Digimon for target practice. This must be my lucky day..."  
  
  
That's another chapter wrapped up. Personally, I don't completely understand Shakkoumon but I decided to at least introduce him into the story. I know some of you don't like him so I'll probably limit my usage of him. Who knows? I didn't have a grand idea of this chapter's battle scene so sorry if it didn't sound too great. I just checked out episodes 36 and 37 on Saturday. I have to say that they totally blew it when it came to Gallantmon's attack names. Final Elysian sounds more cooler than Shield of the Just. And I do believe that Lightning Joust belongs to Megaseadramon. What is wrong with using Royal Sabre and Final Elysian? At least they did a decent job of changing Megagargomon's attack names. Giant Missile and Burst Shot seemed too...plain. I wonder what they will do when they come to Sakuyamon. 


	28. Third Configuration, Section Eight

Author's Notes: The one thing I don't understand is how Shibumi is able to run around in the real world and be in the digital world at the same time (episode 32). He's supposed to be in a coma so I can understand how he may be able to get into the digital world but what about his appearances in episodes 17 and 32? Remember that this is a fanfic and that not everything from the anime may apply. Such as Kumbhiramon getting Leomon into the story. It's probably not going to happen here. Plus some of the dub attack names may change, depending if I like it or not. Anyways, Shadowgallantmon's going to be getting more appearances now that we're nearing the final battle...  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it.  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 3.8  
  
The demon lord Digimon aimed the barrel of his shotgun right at Ryo's head. "So, human...any last words before I send you into the afterlife?" Ryo hopped off Cyberdramon and took out his Digivice. He scanned the Digimon ahead of him and got no data. "Just who the heck are you?" Cyberdramon got into a battle stance.  
  
"Beelzemon!! Cease this foolishness!!!" The demon lord Digimon looked to see Zhuqiaomon closing in. Statistics started to pop up on Ryo's Digivice. "Beelzemon. A mega, demon lord Digimon. Virus type. His attacks are Double Impact and Darkness Claw...just what does Zhuqiaomon know about this guy that the others don't?"  
  
Beelzemon gave a growl. "Aw, come on!! It's just one lousy human!! I could probably become a bit stronger if I upload his pet's data. And you said that we're going to need all the strength we can get for the upcoming battle. I'll only need a few seconds...max!!" Zhuqiaomon wished he could agree with Beelzemon but the Devas can only stall Millenniumon for so long. "Time is of the essence. We must aid our comrades in battle...what happens after the mission is accomplished is entirely up to you."  
  
The mega Digimon gave a savage grin at Ryo. "We can conclude our business later..." He drove off on his motorcycle, leaving Ryo to cough in more dust. Zhuqiaomon was about to fly ahead when Ryo yelled at him. "Stop right there!! You have some serious explaining to do about your recent behaviour!!"  
  
"I do not answer to you, child!!!!" thundered the phoenix. Ryo did not back down. "Then perhaps you should answer to one of the other Sovereigns. I'm sure they'll be interested to know how erratic your behaviour has been lately. You know what could happen if you continue to act like this." Zhuqiaomon paused for a moment before turning all four eyes on the boy. "Make it fast."  
  
************  
  
"For the past few days, we've detected a digital field. We've sent you the coordinates and the most efficient route to that location. And you still come back empty handed?!? What is wrong with all of you?!?!?" The surveillance team supervisor cowered in front of Yamaki. "W-with all due respect, s-sir...there have been other factors that we did not anticipate. Our equipment keeps malfunctioning as soon as we get into close range of the digital field. The only thing that seems to work is the vehicle itself. Everything else becomes inoperable...sir."  
  
"You could have used your own senses to make observations!! And what about those kids?!? I told you to watch over them!! The next time you go into a digital field, I want you to capture one of those children alive with their Digimon!! Do I make myself clear?" The supervisor nodded meekly before heading on his way. Yamaki started grumbling a little before turning his attention to something else. "You said you found something big, Megan?"  
  
"Affirmative. There is a large anomalous reading which is a hundred times bigger than anything we saw before. There are also several much smaller readings and some of them seem to be disappearing..." Yamaki dialed in a number on his cell phone. "What's the status on the project?"  
  
"The weapon is almost complete. After we install its primary programming, we can use some of the data collected a few days ago for a field test." Yamaki gave a small sigh of relief, knowing at least some people were doing their jobs. "Double your efforts. There's something big happening on the horizon. And it may very well have a countermeasure for Juggernaut, although it's unlikely."  
  
************  
  
Calumon hopped from building to building, searching for something to do that would prove to be fun. "Oof!!" The in-training Digimon was knocked far away by a black and blue blur that just leapt from building to building with amazing speed. He crashed into the upper part of a tree before landing. "Big meanie..." "Calumon!!" He turned to see a smiling Jerri. Behind her, two boys were freaking out as they examined six other children. Three more stood off to the side, each with their own thoughts on how to resolve the situation.  
  
Veemon walked over to Guilmon and started to act casual. "So, Guilmon...weather's nice today, huh?" The virus Digimon gave a grin. "Yep." A small distance away, the other Digimon belonging to the Digidestined were talking. "Hmmmm...I wonder what Veemon's up to. He's acting a bit strange. Stranger than usual," murmured Hawkmon.   
  
Armadillomon glanced over at Gatomon. "You should see what they're talking about. You got large ears, you know." The cat Digimon crossed her arms. "Why would I care about what Veemon is talking about. It's his business." Patamon had a concerned look. "I'm worried that Veemon may get himself into trouble if he doesn't watch out. As his friends, we should look out for him. For his safety, you should eavesdrop on the conversation."  
  
"I was wondering, Guilmon...what do you think about Renamon? The one thing I know is that she is one foxy mon," stated Veemon. Guilmon started to think a bit. "I know that she's pretty...she's smart...she's pretty...she's strong...she's pretty...that's what I think about her. Why?" Veemon had somewhat prepared for this question.  
  
"Nothing, really. Just wanted to see what you were thinking. Um...I don't suppose you like her. I mean like her, like her." Guilmon just blinked in confusion. "I like her but I don't know if I like her, like her. I personally don't see what's the difference between like her and like her, like her."  
  
Veemon gave a small sigh of relief. 'He doesn't love her!! He doesn't really know what love and romance is!! Wait a sec...oh, crap. Chicks dig that type of behaviour!! Guys like Guilmon who have good looks and the innocence of a child...NOOOOOOOO!!!!! Renamon's surely going to fall in love with this guy!! The way he acts...it could make any girl giggle and think he's adorable!!'   
  
"Hey...are you okay?" Guilmon waved his hand in front of a silent and now depressed Veemon. "I wonder what's wrong with him. Do you know what's wrong with him?" Wormmon gave a tiny shrug. "I may be his partner for DNA digivolving but nobody knows what goes through his head. Not even Davis."  
  
Takato couldn't help but forget something. "That reminds me...why the heck did you call us all together? Is it just to show off to your friends?" asked Henry. Rika rolled her eyes. "That's typical. Goggle heads like him always want to show how cool they are with cool friends and new stuff. They crave popularity. What a waste of time..."  
  
"Actually, I had a good reason. Kazu and Kenta ran into Shadowgallantmon and-" Almost immediately as the name left his mouth, the other tamers and the Digidestined spoke his name in simultaneous surprise. "Shadowgallantmon?!?" Terriermon gave a groan. "Now there's someone who can easily ruin your day."  
  
"This is just great!! I don't suppose that six ultimate level Digimon are enough to defeat a mega Digimon," muttered Yolei. Cody had a puzzled look on his face. "But if he's here, why isn't he doing anything? Ever since we got here, the only main things we've had to deal with is the transition from our world to yours as well as those digital fields."  
  
"Unlike Blackwargreymon, Shadowgallantmon has a clear vision of what he wants to become. His tactical thinking is just as sharp as his fighting skills. When he arrived here, he must have started to gather information to see what major powers could present a challenge for him. Once he finds out enough, he can start a reign of chaos across the world. And if he finds out that we're here...he will stop at nothing until he claims Takato's essence," stated Henry grimly.  
  
The fact of what had happened two days ago dawned upon Kazu. "Hold it...you are saying that the Digimon who was about to fry me and Kenta at the comic shop is a mega Digimon?" The three Digimon tamers nodded. Rather than a feeling of fear, a feeling of excitement washed over the two boys. "This is awesome!! Now I can say that I survived an encounter with one of the baddest mega Digimon of them all!!" (AN: You can imagine everyone falling down...anime style)  
  
************  
  
"You already know what is happening. You were aware of what could happen and yet you decided not to ask for my assistance. Why?" The phoenix remained silent. Ryo gave a small growl of frustration. "This is something that could not only threaten your realm but threaten the realms of the others!! Since I was in your realm, it was you who had to make the call. Tell me...what was the trigger that made you change?" Zhuqiaomon's four eyes rested on Ryo. The boy could see the dark fires that were blazing within.  
  
"This all started when the idea of the Digital Revolution was conceived in the first place!! There was once a time when the digital world and the human world were kept separate in everybody's realm. I had hoped that it would always remain this way since humans have a lust for power. They cannot deny it because it is in their blood. One day, an incident occurred in Azulongmon's realm. It was too great for the inhabitants of that digital world to handle alone. I suggested that we intervene but a rule had been established that we cannot directly interfere with the affairs of those under our protection unless the threat is simultaneous to all realms."   
  
The phoenix paused. "Ebonwumon, the oldest Sovereign, believed that if there was to be any salvation of that digital world, there would have to be some method for the Digimon to rise to the next level or digivolve. However, with the peace that has lasted for some time, Digimon have lost the will to fight and to digivolve on their own. Then, Azulongmon noticed how humans create a bond with loved ones and treasured inanimate objects. He formed a hypothesis that this bond may be able to allow Digimon to digivolve. We all had our doubts but with the digital world in peril, there was no alternative. A select group was chosen and the crisis had resolved. Unfortunately, the others had gained a new perspective about binding humans and Digimon together. Experiments were carried out in their realms, regarding this matter."   
  
His tone changed, showing the contempt he had for humans. "Years had passed and their confidence in the humans grew. Finally, they had agreed to start the project after they saw how the chosen children in Azulongmon's realm had fared against Apocalymon, one of the most powerful menaces to exist. The project was to bring Digimon and humans together in harmony to stand up against any evil forces who would dare to disrupt the balance. I still regarded humans as a dangerous pestilence but I decided to give the Digital Revolution project a chance. However, the human world in my realm have discovered Digimon on their own. For a while, they attempted to bind together with us. Then the project disappeared and instead, Digimon got treated as a work of fiction. And I saw for myself how vicious they were, especially the children. They had ordered Digimon to fight mercilessly and without meaning. That was when I realized that the Digital Revolution could never happen. It was never meant to happen."  
  
************  
  
"Sir, we have a situation. Hypnos is detecting three wild ones that have just popped up. Estimated time to bio-emerge, forty seconds." Yamaki narrowed his eyes. "Three of them? Hmmmm...can you give me any possible locations where a digital field will form?" Megan and Riley kept typing. "Electrical energy is being formed in the following three areas. It appears to be in Grids H-2, T-9 and B-7." Three dots appeared on a map of the city.   
  
"What's the status of our surveillance teams? Which location can they get to the fastest?" A different coloured dot, representing one of the teams, appeared on the map. "Team Gamma can get to the B-7 sector in two minutes, thirty-two seconds by using this route I'm sending to them. Team Kappa can reach the H-2 sector in five minutes and Team Lambda can reach T-9 in three minutes." Yamaki took out his cell phone and dialed a number. "Gamma team? This is Yamaki. Megan's sending you the fastest route to get to the B-7 sector. Remember that I want both the child and his Digimon alive."  
  
************  
  
A strange sensation went through Guilmon similar to Spider-Man's spider-sense tingling. "Takatomon...I sense a Digimon coming. It's over..." He pointed his body in a direction. "...that way." Terriermon looked at another direction. "Actually, I think there's a Digimon that way." Renamon appeared from behind both of them. "There is also another Digimon coming from that direction."  
  
The tamers weren't sure what to make of all this. Henry started thinking. "There could be several Digimon appearing at once. I suggest we split up into three groups. Yolei and Kari can go with Rika. Davis and Ken, you leave with Takato. That leaves TK and Cody with me. After we take care of these threats, meet back at the shelter, alright?" The others nodded. Renamon walked up to Kazu and Kenta. "Sorry, boys, but I have to take safety precautions." She grabbed both of them by the collars and leapt up into a tree. A moment later, they could hear Kazu and Kenta yelling at her to release them.   
  
Takato raised a hand. "Wait a minute...what about Calumon? I mean, we can't all use his abilities at the same time..." Rika took out a card. "I guess that means we have to get our Digimon ready for battle. Right here, right now!" Jerri looked down as Calumon's forehead started glowing red.  
  
"Digi Modify!! Matrix Digivolution Activate!!"  
  
MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION....  
  
"Guilmon digivolved to...Growlmon!!"  
"Terriermon digivolved to...Gargomon!!"   
"Renamon digivolved to...Kyubimon!!"  
  
"Growlmon digivolved to...Wargrowlmon!!"  
"Gargomon digivolved to...Rapidmon!!"  
"Kyubimon digivolved to...Taomon!!!"  
  
Moments later, Taomon was flying off in one direction with Rika riding on her shoulder. Nefertimon and Aquilamon weren't too far behind. Rapidmon took off in another direction with Pegasusmon giving a ride to TK, Cody and Armadillomon. Wargrowlmon started to dig a large hole. Takato was struggling to hold on. Exveemon and Stingmon lowered themselves carefully so as not to give Davis and Ken a bumpy ride.   
  
************  
  
The three girls arrived at the digital field. Rika took off her purple sunglasses and looked around. "I don't see anything...keep your guard up." Nefertimon and Aquilamon followed closely. All remained silent until someone attacked. "Brachio Bubble!!" Taomon quickly placed a force field to protect them. "Talisman Spell!!"  
  
A Digimon finally emerged. It appeared to look like some sort of dinosaur. Rika took out her Digivice. "Brachiomon, ultimate level, long necked dragon Digimon. Data type. Specialty attacks are Hammer Head and Brachio Bubble...shouldn't be too much of a problem." Nefertimon transformed back to Gatomon to prepare for DNA digivolution.  
  
************  
  
"Justice Beam!!" Shakkoumon fired upon the Digimon that had just charged into the area. Statistics started to pop up on Henry's Digivice. In a way, he looked like Monochromon except he was red. "This guy is called Vermilimon, ultimate level Digimon. Data type. Special attacks are Volcano Strike and-" "Verm Breath!!" Vermilimon unleashed an attack to counter the beam. Rapidmon came up from behind. "Rapid Fire!!"  
  
************  
  
Ryo slowly began to speak after Zhuqiaomon's long speech. "So you don't like the idea of the Digital Revolution. And you definitely hate me because I'm a human. But right now, that has to be put aside. With my expertise against-" The phoenix interrupted the boy. "Absolutely not!!! Millenniumon is our concern, not yours. If Digimon are to learn how to fight and digivolve on their own like they did before, then there must be no human interference."  
  
"I would not call Ryo's assistance as interference." The trio looked up to see Azulongmon up in the air. "Actually, the lad has saved all of our worlds at one point. It was kind of unbelievable how he succeeded where we all failed," stated Ebonwumon in a hearty tone. Baihumon came up from behind the vaccine. "We are curious as to why you did not accept his help."  
  
"Accept the help of a human? How despicable!! It is clear that you three have reached a new level of moronic behaviour. You have forgotten about our history!!!" The turtle's two heads each gave a small glare. "It is your behaviour that is in question." "I am perfectly fine!!!!!" roared the phoenix.   
  
"He's behaving irrationally. Even more than usual. This is interesting...a virus who has become infected," chuckled Baihumon. The forest on Ebonwumon's back started releasing a small powder. As soon as Zhuqiaomon inhaled that powder, he felt his anger level drop drastically. The turtle Digimon gave a smile on both faces. "Well, that should do it. Hopefully, whatever has been manipulating your mind has been destroyed."  
  
Zhuqiaomon had a small guilty expression on his face. "To be honest, elder brother...I was never manipulated at all. Those were my true feelings towards humans. But they were merely personal opinions which didn't fit into the business at hand. Although I did not approve of the Digital Revolution project, I still went along with it. When I had returned to my realm after our discussion on initiating the project, I had a brush with some sort of...thing. It was slight...I barely felt it. Whatever it was, it must have partially altered my mind. All I remember is focusing on my hatred and magnifying it to the point where I decided to declare war on the humans." The phoenix turned to Ryo. "My apologies, Akiyama." The boy nodded.   
  
"At least this matter has been cleared up. Now what about Millenniumon? Although I have confidence in Ryo's abilities, it wouldn't hurt to have some sort of insurance," stated Azulongmon. Zhuqiaomon's memory focused back on to Beelzemon. "Would a demon lord Digimon with Behemoth by his side suffice?" "A demon lord? Great..."  
  
************  
  
"So where is this wild Digimon anyway?" Ken and Davis looked around the digital field, waiting for an opponent. A moment later, they heard the startled cries of their Digimon partners. They turned around to see a giant Digimon with both arms around the necks of Exveemon and Stingmon. He appeared to look like a mutated version of Stingmon. Wargrowlmon started to charge at the other Digimon. "Radiation Blade!!"  
  
Statistics started popping up on Takato's Digivice. "Dinobeemon, ultimate level mutant Digimon. Virus type. Special attacks...Irritant Buzz and Hell Masquerade? This also says that this is the alternate form that Exveemon and Stingmon could have DNA digivolved into!!" "DNA digivolve into this freak?!? No way!!!" Exveemon broke free as soon as Dinobeemon had to focus on Wargrowlmon's attack. Stingmon quickly got away as well. "Let's show him how it's really done!!" yelled the insect Digimon.  
  
"Exveemon..."  
"...Stingmon..."  
"...DNA digivolved to...Paildramon!!!"   
  
"Atomic..." Before Wargrowlmon could finish the attack, Dinobeemon countered with a hard blow that sent him flying backwards a bit. "Desperado Blaster!!!" "Irritant Buzz!!" Small sonic energy waves emerged from his mouth to counter the energy blasts from the attack. "Looks like it's going to be the direct approach," mumbled Paildramon as blades started emerging from above the wrists.  
  
The mutant Digimon placed his hands together. "Hell Masquerade!!" He fired a blob of energy that slammed right into Paildramon's face. "Paildramon!!" Davis tried to run towards the fallen Digimon when Ken had to grab him. "Don't do anything stupid!!! Paildramon can get through this!!"  
  
The blob started sending signals inside Paildramon's mind, causing him to get an unbearable headache and start screaming. Takato grabbed a card. "We better finish this before Paildramon gets worse!!" Wargrowlmon shook off the blow. "Right behind you, Takatomon!!" "Digi Modify!!! Vaccine Conversion Activate!!!" (AN: Original Japanese is Light Training Manual)  
  
Dinobeemon launched himself at Wargrowlmon. He failed to notice a bright glow coming from the Digimon's chest. "Atomic Blaster!!!" A few moments later, Wargrowlmon was absorbing his data. The blob dissipated from Paildramon as the ultimate transformed back into Minomon and Demiveemon. (AN: I want to get Wormmon back as soon as possible. It'll be important later, trust me.)  
  
Davis gently scooped up Demiveemon. "How about that? He didn't transform all the way to his Baby form!! I guess he's getting the hang of this!!" Takato gave a sigh of relief. "Let's just get back to the others." Ken smiled as Minomon lay tired in his arms. "That's a good idea-" His sentence was cut short as he collapsed. Davis and Takato looked in alarm as they saw what looked like a tranquilizer dart in Ken's back. "Ken? What's wrong, Ken?" asked Minomon weakly.  
  
"Let's grab him!!" Several men ran out to grab Ken and carry him away. "What do you think you're doing?!?" One of the men quickly aimed his gun towards Davis. "I think the boss would reward us if we brought in an extra specimen!!" Takato clenched his fists. "I don't think so!! Wargrowlmon!!!"  
  
The ultimate Digimon looked down at the men with an angry look in his eyes. Another man panicked. "Geez!!!! Look at the size of that thing!!!" The other man with the gun quickly took out something. "Forget the others!! Let's just scram with what we have!!" He tossed the object towards the boys. Smoke started pouring out, blinding their vision. Wargrowlmon did his best to fan the smoke away but by the time everything had cleared, the men were gone. Along with Ken Ichijoji.  
  
************  
  
"This is Team Gamma. We have one of the subjects along with his Digimon." Yamaki had a dark smile on his face as soon as he heard the news on the phone. In the background, Minomon was protesting. "Excellent. As soon as you bring them in, we can start our examinations."   
  
The van drove towards the giant building. As soon as it got to an entrance, the back doors opened. Two men were carrying Ken inside and one of them held a struggling Minomon. 'Well, I'll be damned. You guys are here after all.' Up above, Shadowgallantmon watched with growing interest. 'Looks like I'll have to crash the party. Afterall, you may be my ticket to perfection...'  
  
  
Hopefully, that will explain that little part about Zhuqiaomon and his behaviour. I didn't know why they gave Ebonwumon an Irish accent. It was still pretty cool. Hopefully, this chapter makes up for the last little bit. I didn't feel that I got everything. One more thing before I go. I have made up a small list of music that could fit as sort of a soundtrack. I listened to this music most of the time when I was writing.  
  
"Deny" Default  
"Defy You" The Offspring  
"Cure for the Itch" Linkin Park (This is the instrumental piece in V 2.1)  
  
Various battle music from Final Fantasy VII, VIII, IX and Escaflowne.   
  
The first two tracks would fit in the fourth configuration while the Escaflowne music would fit better in V 3.0 when Gallantmon and Shadowgallantmon clash in a battle of titans. Ah, damn...I leaked it out. Well, you did know that this was going to come eventually. 


	29. Third Configuration, Section Nine

Author's Notes: I'm not completely sure which Flamedramon to pair up with Renamon. I guess you can decide. Frankly, it doesn't matter to me. Shibumi won't be in a coma for a while but I'll make some corrections in the next book. I'm also going to change some details the bio-merging thing to fit with the essence theory and because it's a little more cool that way.   
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban and whoever else owns it.  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 3.9  
  
"And that's pretty much it. Now they got Ken and Minomon. There wasn't much we can do when the smoke cleared." Takato finished telling the story to the others. Davis clenched his fists. "What matters now is that we go find out where Ken and Minomon are being held and bust them out of there!! It's already been an hour!! If we wait any longer, then who knows what horrible experiments they can cook up!!!"  
  
Henry sighed. "We have to approach this carefully. Finding Ken is going to be easy since we can scan for his Digivice with your Digivices. But we don't know the level of security in the building where he's being held." Out of nowhere, Renamon makes her appearance with Cody on her back. The boy slowly got down before speaking. "I traced the signal all the way to that huge building." He pointed towards something behind them.  
  
The group turned to where he was pointing and gave a gasp. TK had a small shocked look in his eyes. "You mean we have to infiltrate that building?!? It must have some sort of massive security system or something!!!" The building seemed like some sort of impenetrable fortress by the way it towered over the city. Rika narrowed her eyes. "That means we're going to have to go on a surveillance mission before we can plan the rescue operation. We should all head home to get a bit of rest. At seven o'clock, we meet back here and see what we're up against."   
  
The other tamers gave a nod before heading home. Davis turned to Rika, unable to hold back his curiosity. "I was just wondering...who is Black...um..." Rika rolled her eyes. "So now you want to know about Blackwargreymon? I never thought that there would be a person with a head thicker than Takato's but you go and prove me wrong."   
  
Renamon couldn't help feeling that there was something missing. "Something the matter, Renamon?" The fox Digimon shook off the feeling. "Nothing. Nothing at all." She started leaping from building to building, with this nagging feeling at the back of her head telling her she forgot something.  
  
"Hello? Is anybody there? Come on!! You can let us down now!!" Up in the tree, Kazu and Kenta were dangling helplessly. If they weren't so high up in the tree, they might have been able to get down. A few moments later, Jerri noticed the two boys struggling. "If you guys keep struggling, you'll ruin your shirts!!"   
  
************  
  
Henry entered his home only to be embraced by his worried mother. "Thank God you're safe!! There have been reports of more of these mysterious fogs popping up recently!!" The boy gave a weak smile. "Mom...I already know that I have to stay away from them. You don't have to worry about me."   
  
An older man came up from behind to gently pry his wife and son apart. "Honey, you know that Henry's a smart kid and that he won't do anything risky." The woman gave a small sigh before heading into the living room. Suzie gave a squeal when she saw who got home. "Terwiermon!!" Before Henry could react, she was already playing with the 'doll'.   
  
He gave a small grin before looking up at his father. "Thanks for bailing me out. If mom keeps going on like that, I'll probably never be allowed to go out again!!" This earned a chuckle from his father. "Don't worry about it. Just watch yourself, okay?" The boy nodded and was about to go to his room when an envelope was placed in his hand.   
  
"What's this, dad?" The other man narrowed his eyes. "A few minutes ago before you came back home, an old member of the Monster Makers team dropped by. He gave me this, asking that I give it to you when you return. He says that this is for your eyes only and that it concerns what is happening recently."   
  
Henry took the envelope and went to his room. It didn't take him long to rip it open. Inside was a blank card and a small piece of paper. Henry's fingers almost trembled as he read what was on the piece of paper. "From...Azulongmon?" He took the card and placed it in the card reader attached to his computer.   
  
************  
  
"So what are we waiting for, lads? We got to deliver a swift kick in the rear end to that scoundrel!!" Azulongmon gave a sigh. "Regardless of your enthusiasm, elder brother, it will not change the outcome if we pursue the course you're proposing. Our previous encounter has shown that we cannot do anything against him. Only Ryo can battle Millenniumon and come out victorious." Ebonwumon's heads both nodded wearily. "Aye." "And would you stop with that accent? It's getting on my nerves," grumbled Zhuqiaomon.  
  
"Well, even with the Goliath cards, I'll probably feel a lot better if I had my old partners helping out. But I'm sure Cyberdramon is up for the challenge. He's capable enough to deal with the situation," stated Ryo. "I'll believe it when I see it." Cyberdramon growled at the phoenix who gave a chuckle.   
  
"Enough of this bickering. We should-" Baihumon's sentence was cut off when the forest on Ebonwumon's back started giving off a strange glow. The turtle's two heads started to focus on something. "What's going on?" asked Ryo. Baihumon glanced at the boy. "Ebonwumon's forest gives him a sixth sense if you will to the fabric between the dimensions. Right now, there seems to be a disturbance."  
  
"A massive one, I'm afraid." The forest had stopped glowing and there was a worried look in the turtle's four eyes. "Millenniumon has just summoned a Digimon from my realm." Cyberdramon gave a snarl. "Enough with the suspense!! Who is it?!" The vaccine Digimon had to let the truth sink in for a moment. "That Digimon he summoned was an acquaintance I once knew. You could say that he was a messenger of the Gods. Some time ago, he vanished. The last thing I heard about him was that he had turned viral..."  
  
************  
  
"Sir, we have run every single physical test on the child we could come up with. Physically, he appears to be a simple human being. His blood type, heart beat...everything seems to be normal!" Yamaki finished scanning some of the reports concerning some of the experiments with the new specimens. "Really? Then how is he able to become a partner with one of these Digimon?"  
  
The scientist gave a shrug. "We're not sure about that. To be honest, we weren't sure what type of tests would be suitable for the Digimon. He's compiled out of data but he is alive as any normal living creature on this planet." Yamaki placed the report down and leaned back in his chair. "You have my authorization to design and carry out any tests you feel fit that will divulge some information about these Digimon. And don't start thinking about ethics now. The whole world may depend on this information...besides, it's not as if you're destroying a life. Digimon are nothing but data."  
  
Meanwhile in another room, Ken Ichijoji was lying on a hospital bed. He remembered people surrounding him, performing tests and other things. He slowly got up from the bed and looked around. A simple room, with a bathroom and some other things. He looked out the door to see two guards at each side. The boy gave a sigh before sitting back down. He reached for his D terminal but noticed that it had been taken away as well as his Digivice. 'I have to get out of here and save Minomon. Hopefully the others can help but until they arrive, I'm on my own.'  
  
A loud siren and flashing red lights interrupted his thoughts. "Warning: Intruder Alert. All security personnel report to the East Wing on the fourteenth floor." Ken got up and looked out again. The two guards were listening to something, as if receiving instructions. Then they resumed their posts.   
  
The room shook violently as one of the walls exploded. The two guards opened the door with their weapons drawn. They took aim at the figure with a blue cape and fired. The bullets had no effect. In the knight's arms, Minomon was squirming. Ken's D terminal and Digivice were held in his left hand. He quickly placed them down before leaping into the air towards the guards. His left foot and lance shot out, hitting each guard's head. Both guards collapsed unconscious. Ken tried to grab Minomon along with his items before making a run for it. A large shadow loomed over the boy. He looked up into Shadowgallantmon's cold blue eyes. "Behold...your knight in shining armor."  
  
************  
  
"Bye, mom!! I'm going out to hang out with my friends and gaze at the stars!!" Takato closed the door behind him as he left the bakery. His mother gave an irritated sigh. "He keeps going out even with the risk of that fog popping up again!! Since when did Takato have an interest in astrology?" Her husband looked up from his newspaper. "He's a growing boy, developing new interests almost every month. One minute it's Digimon. The next, it's the night sky."  
  
By the time he arrived at the shelter, the others had already assembled except for Henry. "Where is Henry anyway?" asked Kari. "Henry said that he needs a bit of time to decipher something. He says that it may give us an edge in battle," stated Yolei.  
  
"What type of edge? Just what is he talking about?" Takato crossed his arms to start pondering about what Henry is up to. Cody started stating their options. "I guess that means we'll have to either go ahead without him and let him catch up or we wait and see whether this edge can help us at all."   
  
"Geronimo!!" The group looked up to see Calumon drop down on Guilmon's head. Takato gave a grin. "Hey, Calumon. Nice of you to drop in." The in-training Digimon smiled. "Well, you guys are a lot of fun to be around!! At least more fun than that big black rabbit..."  
  
A small sense of shock went through the group. "What big black rabbit?" asked TK nervously. Calumon hopped off before thinking for a moment. "The big black rabbit who's shooting blue stuff from his palms and causing things to go boom!!" A small earthquake shook the ground. In the distance, they could see flashes and some explosions near the city. Rika whipped out a card. "Digi Modify!! Matrix Digivolution Activate!!"  
  
MATRIX DIGIVOLUTION....  
  
"Renamon digivolved to...Kyubimon!!"  
"Kyubimon digivolved to...Taomon!!"  
  
A moment later, Taomon and Rika were flying off in the direction of the flashes. "Somebody tell Henry that we're heading towards the city!! Veemon, let's get going!!" Davis started to run in the same direction. Takato had his mind somewhere else. 'How did a Digimon appear in our world without forming a digital field?' He shook off the uneasy feeling and prepared to slash his own blue card.   
  
There were screams everywhere as buildings and cars were being destroyed by the mysterious black rabbit. People were running as fast as they could to escape his assault. "This world is so cluttered. If the Transformation is to occur, then all of this will simply have to go!!" "Thousand Spells!!" Several red slips came out of nowhere and distracted the Digimon. He looked over to see a girl and her partner Digimon.  
  
She checked her Digivice. "Kerpymon. Mega level, virus type. He's supposed to have some sort of link with the Gods...his attacks are Lightning Spear and Final Judgement. Taomon, be careful!!!" Kerpymon formed a small blue spear above his head. "Lightning Spear!!" "Talisman Spell!!!" The attack hit the shield and sent Taomon flying back a good distance. (AN: Original Japanese name is Cherubimon...I think)  
  
"Justice Beam!!!" "Static Force!!" "Atomic Blaster!!!" Three energy blasts came out of nowhere and hit Kerpymon square in the face. He shook it off easily and glared at Shakkoumon, Silphymon and Wargrowlmon. "Foolish creatures!! You have no idea what you're doing!! At least you're lucky that I will grant mercy and destroy you here rather than to answer to the Mighty One himself!!! Final Judgement!!!!"  
  
A large cloud gathered over the three Digimon. Bolts of electricity came out of the cloud to simultaneously attack all three Digimon. Takato could feel the pain that Wargrowlmon felt. Moments later, the attack ended. Lying on the ground were Salamon, Poromon, Tokomon, Upamon and Guilmon.  
  
Kerpymon prepared to finish them off. "Didn't forget about me, did you? Fire Rocket!!!" The rabbit turned to see a large flaming object flying towards him at a tremendous speed. He quickly backhanded the flaming object. Moments later, Flamedramon crashed into one of the buildings. "You shall be the first to be...enlightened." Kerpymon started to advance before he heard someone yell out their attack name. "Talisman of Light!!"  
  
Takato ran over to help Guilmon stand on his feet. "Owwww...I hurt all over, Takatomon. That rabbit has got to go down!!" The boy wasn't sure what to do. This Digimon has to be stopped somehow. And there's also the rescue operation. Takato felt as if everything is spiralling out of control. "I know...but we don't have the firepower to take him out."  
  
"You scanned him before we started attacking. The Digivice said that he has some connection to the Gods. Maybe if we ask them, we can become strong too." Takato looked at the rookie Digimon, unsure of what to do. Can prayer truly save the world? He closed his eyes and started to speak. "If there is any God out there, please send us your blessing. We are in big trouble and I don't know what to do. I just wish I could help Guilmon become stronger..."  
  
His Digivice started to beep. Takato took it off and gasped. On the screen, there were two red triangles, one overlapping the other. It almost looked like Calumon's symbol. Guilmon grinned. "Hey!! I think they'll help, Takatomon!!!" The boy clutched the Digivice carefully. A small command appeared on the screen underneath the icon. It read 'Bio-merge? (Y/N)'. Takato held his Digivice high in the air. "Biomerge Activate!!!"  
  
BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION.... "Guilmon bio-merged to..."  
  
A powerful glow erupted from the two of them. It caught the attention of everybody in the vicinity. Takato felt his physical body disappear as his essence transferred straight into Guilmon. The Digimon grew larger and his body started morphing. Skin was replaced by armor. His tail disappeared as a red cape emerged from his back. A shield and lance formed on his left and right arms respectively. The helmet finally formed with what appears to be Guilmon's head on the top part.   
  
"....Gallantmon!!!"  
  
The others stared in amazement. Kerpymon looked undaunted with the arrival of the new Digimon. "Lightning Spear!!!" A bolt of energy was shot straight at Gallantmon. He simply placed his shield in front of the attack to neutralize it. Fierce golden eyes locked on to the target. "My turn...Royal Sabre!!!"  
  
A beam of energy fired from the lance and hit Kerpymon square in the chest. He gave a loud scream as he was sent flying. "Whoa...there's something you don't see everyday." Rapidmon and Henry came into view after getting out of Kerpymon's way. Henry gave a sigh. "I see that you don't really need the extra weapon at the moment. Wait a second..." The boy's thoughts drifted back to that day in the Digidestined's world when Takato was drawing a picture. "G-Gallantmon...that's Guilmon's mega form. From his looks, I would have to speculate that he's a holy knight Digimon." Rapidmon's eyes widened. "A virus Digimon who's a holy knight!! Man, that's crazy!!!"  
  
Davis looked around the area. "Hey, where did Takato go?" "I'm right here!!" The voice sounded a bit like Takato but totally different. It sounded more mature, like that of a young warrior. Davis looked around again. "Dude, where are you?" "I'm over here!!" He turned to where the voice was coming from. "No way...is that really you?"  
  
Gallantmon blinked. "Uh...yeah. Why wouldn't it be?" Henry and Rika looked in disbelief. "Takato, wave your right arm. That way, we can be sure." The holy knight gave an irritated sigh before waving his right arm. "Geez...what's going on? Why do you all looked disturbed?" Kari stepped forward nervously. "Take a look at yourself."  
  
The mega Digimon examined himself. "I see what you mean...I guess that's what happens when you bio-merge with your partner." Yolei narrowed her eyes. "Just what did happen between you and Guilmon...um...is he in there too? Who is in there anyway?" A gentle laugh came from the knight. If they concentrated their hearing, they could hear a part of Guilmon and a part of Takato coming from that laugh.   
  
"It's kind of hard to explain. But as far as I can tell, the best qualities of Guilmon's mind merged with my essence. I gained his physical abilities, such as the combat reflexes and other things. Other parts of me were enhanced like my intelligence. Guilmon also focuses as my conscience and support but basically, I'm in the driver's seat. To be honest, this is a little unsettling." Henry gave a small smile. "In other words, you're freaking out." Gallantmon chuckled. "That's another way of putting it."  
  
A small groan came from behind them. The group turned to see Ken and Minomon lying on the ground. Cody ran over to aid the fallen Digidestined. "Ken!! How did you escape?" Ken tried to form a few words but didn't have too much strength. Minomon was in a similar condition. "S-Sha...Sha..."  
  
"You shall pay for your insolence!!!" Gallantmon whirled around to see Kerpymon charging at full speed. Out of nowhere, a black figure jumps on Kerpymon and splits his skull wide open. The body dissipated into data and was uploaded by none other than Shadowgallantmon. The dark knight gave a small exhale after uploading the data. His blue eyes then focused on his primary target. "Greetings, my holy counterpart." From the scene set before them, the group knew that a battle was imminent.  
  
  
Well, that's another one done...you know the drill after you finish this chapter. Anyways, for those who are wondering, Kerpymon is the rabbit Deva's mega form. Before you start asking me questions, remember that I had Ebonwumon mention that Millenniumon was taking Kerpymon out from his realm. I've decided to stick with Dukemon's original attack names. Also I'm still trying to figure out what to place in each chapter for the upcoming fourth configuration. Note that with two ISU projects already on my head and a third one that will be coming soon, my writing time will be limited. You may expect some delays in the next few months. 


	30. Third Configuration, Section Ten

Author's Notes: Well, it's that time again to wrap up another configuration of the story. I hope you enjoyed reading about the Digidestined children experiencing life in the tamers' world. The next configuration is going to be packed to say the least. The way I had the battle in mind was by remembering all those Guy Meleth battles on Escaflowne with the swords and the whipping capes. Hopefully, that will give you an idea of how things are going here.  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban, Toei Animation and whoever else owns it. Escaflowne belongs to Sunrise.  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 3.0  
  
"What the hell happened out there?!? Somebody better give me an explanation!!!" The guard fought down the urge to go into a nervous breakdown and told Yamaki about the events that have transpired. "There was a security breach. The intruder appeared to be some sort of knight by the way he was dressed. All he simply did was destroy part of the facility to get to the specimens that were brought in earlier today."  
  
'That's the last straw. It's time to bid farewell to this pestilence.' "Riley, what's the status of the Juggernaut program?" The operator kept typing as she got the statistics. "The engineering team says that they will require at least thirty minutes to get Juggernaut prepared for a test run." Yamaki crossed his arms. "Inform them to skip the test run. Instead we can test out Juggernaut on the recent infestation. Tell them I intend to activate the program in ten minutes."  
  
************  
  
Rapidmon gave a small sigh. "The fate of the world now rests on Gallantmon's shoulders. And technically, Takato is Gallantmon so basically the whole world is counting on Takato to save them...the earth is doomed. We're all gonna die..." Rika shot a glare at the cyborg Digimon. "Why don't you just shut up already?!? Right now, Gallantmon's the only one here powerful enough to go toe to toe with Shadowgallantmon!!"  
  
"Let's be realistic, Rika. Regardless of Takato gaining all of Guilmon's combat reflexes and skills, he doesn't have enough combat experience. He's still trying to adjust to this new change and his new power," stated Henry. The boy looked back and saw that the others weren't in too much shape to battle. He'll have to wait to unleash the power of Azulongmon's digicore.  
  
Shadowgallantmon's cape flew freely as the wind blew past him. "I must admit that I'm relieved that I will be battling you in this form. In your other form, it was just so boring. You had power but you lacked the brains to use it properly. I trust I won't be disappointed when we meet in combat." Gallantmon blinked. "What other form? What are you talking about?"  
  
"Assuming that you survive this battle, you can ask your friends. Shall we begin?" Before the holy knight could give a reply, Shadowgallantmon charged towards him at a tremendous speed. Gallantmon barely had enough time to bring his lance up to parry the attack. The dark knight dropped to the ground, attempting a footsweep.  
  
Gallantmon leapt over the leg and backflipped out of the way. "You're going to have to do better than that." An amused chuckle was all he received from his opponent. "Actually, that was just a little warm-up. You haven't seen nothing yet..." Shadowgallantmon began running towards him when he just vanished from sight. A few seconds later, Gallantmon turned around to block his opponent's lance. Sparks flew as the two lances clashed against each other again and again although it was hard to tell with the sky a bright orange with the sun setting. (AN: Think of it like this...there was a particular scene in the ending credits where Escaflowne and another opponent were battling it out under the firey sky. Instead of dead soldiers and weapons, you can replace them with abandoned buildings)  
  
Davis gave a small gasp. "Geez!! Look at those two go at it!!" The two knights became nothing but blurs as they were moving too fast for their eyes to see. Even Rapidmon had difficulty trying to watch them battle. Taomon had shaken off Kerpymon's attack earlier and had just rejoined the group. 'Regardless of which way the battle goes, there will be serious repercussions on the human world.'  
  
Rapidmon began to read the power readings that his internal computer was detecting. "Whoa!! The amount of energy that each of them is generating is the same!! They are completely equal!!! Wait a sec...Shadowgallantmon's attack power is going even higher!!!" The two knights landed on the ground before continuing their battle. Their lances were a blur as they clashed against each other. "This isn't good!! Shadowgallantmon's attack power has just quintupled!!!!!"  
  
A loud battle cry came from the dark knight as his next swing shattered part of Gallantmon's own lance. The holy knight was thankful that he didn't get the hand. He released whatever remained of the lance before starting on the defensive. Shadowgallantmon fired a beam of black energy from his silver and blue lance. Gallantmon quickly raised his shield. The beam collided with the shield, forcing Gallantmon to slide backwards.   
  
The holy knight narrowed his golden eyes. "Why are you so obsessed with getting my essence? What will you do once you acheive your ultimate power?" Shadowgallantmon gave a small sigh. "I suppose you should know what's going to happen after I destroy you. Once I am complete, the only thing I have to do is yield to my own nature. As a knight of chaos and as a virus type Digimon, I will first eradicate the human race and then hunt the most ferocious Digimon in the digital world."  
  
Gallantmon's shield started to glow. "That isn't such a great agenda. If I were you, I would seriously consider planning a future more worthwhile. But then again...you won't get that opportunity!! Final Elysian!!!!" A blast of red energy erupted from the core of the shield and ripped right through Shadowgallantmon's own beam. The dark knight had no time to gawk in surprise as he was slammed by the blast. "Alright!! He did it!!!" cheered Kari.   
  
Cody had a concerned look on his face. "Yeah but it came at a high price. Look!" In the middle of the road, Gallantmon was on his knees trying to breathe. "It's his bond!! Takato originally created this type of mega form and Arukenimon duplicated it with control spires. Every time Shadowgallantmon gets hurt, so does Takato," concluded TK.   
  
Henry snapped his fingers. "Of course!! Now I remember...when Shadowgallantmon fought Grandkuwagamon, Takato got slightly scratched at the same time when we saw Grandkuwagamon's scissors scratch some of Shadowgallantmon's armor!!" Yolei gave a small gasp. "So that means if Shadowgallantmon dies...Takato goes as well?"   
  
Gallantmon slowly regained his breath. 'I have to finish this now...I can't let Shadowgallantmon terrorize anymore innocent people and Digimon. If I must die in order to stop him, so be it.' A loud enraged roar came from a distance away. Gallantmon quickly got up and charged for another attack. As soon as Shadowgallantmon came into view, the holy knight unleashed another Final Elysian.  
  
With his lance and shield forward, the dark knight charged to meet the beam. He slowly made his way forward, getting ever closer to Gallantmon and to victory. As soon as he was in close range, he swung his lance forward to knock Gallantmon out of the attack. The holy knight stumbled backward and was about to counterattack when Shadowgallantmon quickly rammed his right knee straight into the chin section of his helmet. His lance and shield shaped themselves to be hands, allowing the dark knight to deliver repeated punches to Gallantmon's abdomen.   
  
Poromon struggled to find some energy left to fight. "He can't take much more of this!! We gotta help him somehow!!" Salamon was breathing slowly. "If there is a way to digivolve straight into mega, I would like to hear it. Then we can show Shadowgallantmon a thing or two."  
  
Henry gritted his teeth. "It's my fault. If only I cracked the program earlier and assembled the digicore faster...then Gatomon and Patamon could have had a chance to digivolve to mega..." Davis blinked. "Henry? What are you talking about?" The boy took out a small glowing sphere. Rika gasped. "Where did you get that digicore?"  
  
After delivering about fifty punches, Shadowgallantmon finally gave one last kick to Gallantmon's chest armor. The holy knight didn't even have the strength to shout in pain as he landed flat on the ground. His armor was cracked and his cape was ripped in several places. Shadowgallantmon willed his right arm to form his lance before pointing it at Gallantmon's head. "I suppose I should take this opportunity to ask something since this is the only time I'll get to do this...why have you decided to preserve life? After all, you are a virus type. And it is our nature to be destructive and chaotic."  
  
Rika prepared to slash a card. "Takato's in trouble!! Mega or not, we have to stop Shadowgallantmon!!!" The dark knight noticed the group was preparing to do something and quickly fired a blast of black energy from his lance. Taomon barely had enough time to put up a shield. Rapidmon got in front to protect Henry and the others. "Talisman Spell!!" Regardless of her effort, the power of Shadowgallantmon's attack shattered the shield and hit both Rapidmon and Taomon. Luckily, the shield had softened the blast and only forced them to go back to their rookie forms.  
  
Gallantmon slowly began to speak. "Just because a Digimon is a virus doesn't mean he has to be destructive. Each being must choose their own path. They only need to trust their instincts. Everything else doesn't matter...not even your own nature." He found it painful just to breathe but he continued to speak.  
  
"As for preserving life, that is the duty of a holy knight. It is the beauties and joys of life that drives us to defend it with our lives. Life is precious...it must be cherished at every waking moment. Because the most empty feeling is waking up one day and realizing that your entire life has already gone by. You find yourself regretting that you didn't live life to the fullest."   
  
Shadowgallantmon could not believe that this is the purpose of his counterpart's life. "I pity you, Gallantmon. You are so naive with your beliefs that life should be lived to the fullest that you are blinded to the obvious reality before you. Life is filled with cruelties far worse than what you can imagine. The joys of life...law, order, justice...they're nothing but illusions. The horrors that life can bring are so devastating that there are many who wish for a swift death. You also claim to preserve all life. Does this include plant life? Microscopic life? Shouldn't you do something to stop the humans and wild animals from eating other animals and plants altogether?"  
  
Gallantmon took a deep breath, ignoring the aching sensations that came from his lungs. "And how exactly do you justify your massacre of the human race?" The dark knight narrowed his blue eyes. "It is a well known fact in biology that every living being will eventually die. In fact, in each waking second, people are dying. Not immediately but death will eventually happen. And when one dies, emotional suffering is caused to loved ones. By eradicating the human race at once, the world will be spared of emotional suffering. The animals won't feel anything at all since they don't grow attached to these humans."  
  
"How noble of you. Let's see what happens when your judgement day comes," spat the holy knight. Shadowgallantmon prepared to deal the final blow. "There is a time and place for everything. My judgement day will eventually come...your final moments are coming up real soon." He raised his lance high but before he can bring it down, he felt strange. The dark knight noticed that his body looked like that it was being sucked away in a vacuum. The same thing was happening to Gallantmon and the other Digimon.  
  
"What's happening?!?" shouted Cody. Henry tried to keep a firm grip on Terriermon. "I'm not sure but I think the way the sky is shifting has something to do with this!!!" They all looked up to see a small whirlpool above the building where Ken was taken prisoner. And it appeared that there were Digimon flying towards it.   
  
"Status!!" Riley kept typing on her keyboard. "We have been able to destroy thirteen Digimon so far...wait a second!! Something's gone wrong!!!!" The monitors started to flash warning signs. "Warning. System Breach." Yamaki went pale. "That's impossible!!! There's no way a Digimon can get here through Juggernaut!!!!"  
  
Megan tried to keep her focus on her work. "There are three signatures that are coming through the core, sir!! Wait...there's also a gigantic signature coming from behind those three!! It seems as if it's slowly crossing through!!! From it's size and rate of entry, I would estimate that the creature would emerge in five minutes!!!"  
  
"No!!!! I will not be denied my prize!!!!" Shadowgallantmon tried to focus on dealing the final blow to Gallantmon. Before he could strike, a giant dragon plowed into the dark knight and both were sent flying somewhere else.  
  
Gallantmon started to glow and split into Takato and Guilmon. Both of them were looking extremely tired. The group ran up to the two of them. "Are you alright, Takato?" The tamer gave a slow nod before getting up. "Man...that kind of hurts!!! I'm glad that I'm still alive!! What's going on?"  
  
In another part of the city, Beelzemon had just landed in one piece on top of a rooftop. 'There's no way I'm going back to fight that thing!!! That turkey must have been insane to think that I'm willing to go on a suicide mission!!! I'm outta here!!' The demon lord Digimon started his descent.  
  
"It's hard to explain but the whirlpool in the sky is...was having a weird effect on our Digimon. I don't know what happened after that." Yolei readjusted her glasses. "I suggest that we find a place to regain our strength as fast as possible as well as plan a strategy. I have a feeling that this battle is far from over," stated Henry. The others nodded simultaneously before heading out.  
  
************  
  
"Wow!!! The sky is so pwetty!!!" Suzie looked in wonder as she saw the colours of the sky shift and change over that tall building. Her older sister came up from behind her. "Suzie, we've got to get going. Mom and dad want to get out of here as soon as possible. I guess that the monster attack has got them freaked out or something."  
  
Suzie was about to leave when she noticed something through the window. She went back and looked at the object coming towards them at a tremendous speed. "What is that fwying thing?" The older girl went pale, grabbed Suzie and jumped out of the way. Moments later, the window crashed as the object slid to a stop.   
  
"Damn it!! Where did Henry go?!?" Mr. Wong was trying his best to calm down before he heard the crash outside his room. He opened the door and gave a gasp. A gigantic rabbit was lying on the floor, barely conscious. "I don't bewieve it!! A big bunny!!!" Suzie hopped out of her sister's arms and looked at the rabbit more carefully. "Oh no!! It's hurt!!!"  
  
"Get away from that, Suzie!! We have to get going!!!" Suzie looked at her father with tears in her eyes. "But we have to help it get all better!! Pwease, daddy?" Before Mr. Wong could give a reply, his wife and other son came into the room. "What's taking everybody-oh my God!!!" The room was filled with silence except for Suzie gently stroking the rabbit and saying how everything was going to be okay. Antylamon gave a sad look at the little girl gently petting her. 'Everything is not going to be okay if Millenniumon enters this world...'  
  
  
A bit shorter than a typical chapter so sorry if I disappointed anybody. I didn't get the dub names of Sakuyamon's attacks but hopefully they should be better than Tengu's Rice. To be honest, I didn't exactly expect Rika to be so happy when she bio-merged. A sneak peek at what's up in the next configuration: new digivolutions achieved, more Rukato and a war that will leave the world forever changed. Stick around!!!! 


	31. Fourth Configuration, Section One

Author's Notes: I'm still trying to figure out the amount of material that I want in each chapter of this configuration so it could take a bit longer. And Alex...chill out!! I've stopped being the vengeful author after I learned from my experiences during my time as Alpha. I know you're trying to help sharpen up the story and I don't really mind too much. Just try not to overdo things, alright? Let's kick off the fourth configuration!!  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban, Toei Animation and whoever else owns it.  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 4.1  
  
Majiramon gave a small groan as he opened his red eyes. He had landed on a building that has just been crushed due to his weight. 'Wait a second...I crashed into somebody else before I collided into that structure.' He shook off his dizziness before hearing someone address him in a cold tone. "Good, you're awake. Now I can hear you scream during the torture session before I send you off into the afterlife."  
  
The dragon Deva looked down to see a black figure with a blue cape, glaring at him with intensity in his eyes, indicating that he was one pissed off fellow. "Do you really think you can defeat me, inferior being? I'm one of the twelve Devas who serve under the great Digimon Sovereign himself!!" Shadowgallantmon still fixed his icy glare on the other Digimon. "As far as I'm concerned, you're the one who ruined what was to be my greatest victory. And now you shall pay for it with your blood...and then I will find your precious Sovereign and upload his data."  
  
Majiramon roared in rage as he attacked the figure on the street. He leapt up into the air and landed on the dragon's head. 'How can someone move that fast?!?' The dark knight snorted. "Is this the best you can do? If it is, then it wouldn't be worth the energy just to delete you..."   
  
The dragon Deva could feel the tip of the knight's lance on the top of his head. Majiramon tried not to move around too much. "This can't be happening!! No one Digimon is this powerful!! Only the Sovereign can wield such power!!!" Shadowgallantmon rolled his eyes in disgust. "You talk about your Sovereign like he's some sort of God or something. News flash: Gods don't exist."   
  
"You're wrong. Millenniumon can digivolve into a God..." This caught the interest of the dark knight. "Just who is this Millenniumon? The way you talk about him indicates that this guy obviously strikes more fear in your heart than I do. He has to be one insanely powerful Digimon."  
  
"He is extremely powerful. Millenniumon has the power to bend space, time and reality. All of that power at his fingertips...you seem to possess great power yourself. You must aid us in our fight against him!! From what my master has told me, we will require all of the help we can get against him." Shadowgallantmon didn't respond because he was lost in his own thoughts.  
  
'I wonder what it will be like to absorb the data of a God. It must be more satisfying than capturing the boy's essence.' He turned his attention back to the dragon Deva. "This guy sounds like quite the popular fellow." He quickly plunged his lance straight into the dragon's skull before uploading the data. "I look forward to meeting him."  
  
************  
  
'How convenient. A portal has already been opened for me to get into the human world.' Millenniumon positioned himself to enter the vortex. 'I need to find a way to digivolve into my other form...it's not as easy tapping into the fabric of reality in this body. Bringing other beings forth from other dimensions and controlling the dimensional gateways are a few things. Actually creating a portal for myself is another matter.'  
  
As the D Reaper drew closer, it could sense the massive amount of power that one of the programs possessed. The only instructions it received were to terminate any programs that exceeded its normal parameters. When it got closer, it started sensing more readings outside...especially the worst program of them all. The one who can give out upgrades and jeopardize everything. The priority subroutines kicked in as it went to dispose of the closer program.   
  
The mega Digimon was about to go through the portal when he noticed something closing up from behind him. He whirled around to see a large wave of red liquid hurtling towards him. Before he could do anything, the liquid engulfed him. Inside, Millenniumon had already started to take countermeasures for whatever was attempting to delete him. He started to concentrate as some of his arms appeared to be coming apart. His mind continued to focus as a small barrier formed around him. The red liquid had to go back but kept attempting to devour him. 'Thankfully, that stuff didn't do any serious damage. What the hell is this thing anyway?'   
  
Millenniumon started to think. 'With whatever this is making a mess of things, my whole schedule has been thrown off...I planned to throw a little party on their world and that's exactly what I'm going to do. I suppose I'll have to find someone else to start things up. Now which candidate would be suitable for this job?'  
  
************  
  
Janyu Wong had to sit down to try and digest what had just happened. Thirty minutes ago, there was a report of a monster sighting trashing the city. Two minutes later, the family was preparing to leave the apartment and move somewhere else. Ten minutes after that, an object crashes into the apartment. It didn't take too long for his youngest daughter, Suzie, to grow attached to it.  
  
Then a few minutes after the arrival of the large rabbit, his son Henry barges into the apartment with several friends and more monsters. His wife couldn't take anymore of this and fainted. His other two children were pretty shocked to say the least. He could still remember the tense moment when he confronted his son.  
  
  
  
"You've kept this secret for this long and you didn't even tell me?" The two were alone in the computer room. Kari and Yolei were helping Suzie with the first-aid application on Antylamon. Most of the Digimon were helping themselves to the food in the fridge and other storage areas. Takato and Rika had to call their homes, telling their worried relatives that they had to stay at a friend's house with the evacuation order.  
  
Henry was partially surprised that his father didn't explode at him for keeping Terriermon a secret. "I wasn't sure how you would take it...do you remember all those conversations we had in the past year in which every time the subject of your AI project came up, you would talk about something else? You indicated that you didn't want to talk about the project. If I showed you a real live Digimon..." Janyu gave a sigh. "Well, I wish you would have told me sooner but I suppose it's better late than never. Now, can you explain about your other friends? As I recall, Davis Motomiya was a fictional character on a cartoon series."   
  
"Sorry, dad. It would take too long to explain. The only reason I came here was that we needed to recharge on energy. There's a powerful Digimon that's loose in the city. We've got to find him and take him out before he can cause any damage. After we take care of that, I'll explain everything. You have my word." A small smile made its way to Janyu's face. "And I know for a fact that when a Wong gives his word, he carries out that promise."  
  
  
  
The man could see Henry working on some sort of strategy with almost all of the other male children. One of them was sitting down on the couch. His black hair rested against one of the cushions. Some of the Digimon began to digivolve to their rookie stages. 'All this time Shibumi was right. He said that Digimon and humans would work together to create the next step in evolution for all living beings. And it seems that my son will be one of the chosen to carry this out...'  
  
Kari Kamiya finished tying up the bandage on Antylamon's arm. "That should do it. Try not to move that arm around too much." The ultimate Digimon gave a small nod. 'All this time, the Sovereign said that humans were dangerous. I never really thought about them since all I ever did was guard the gate. But they seem to be kind hearted...especially this little one.' Suzie was trying to get some cushions to make Antylamon more comfortable.  
  
************  
  
Ryo was starting to get a bit of a headache, watching all of the Holy Beasts argue about coming up with some sort of a plan to counter whatever Millenniumon had in mind. Cyberdramon gave a sigh in his raspy tone. "Hold it, laddies!!! I feel something!!" The other Holy Beasts stopped their bickering as they watched Ebonwumon feel the shift between dimensions. "What is happening, elder brother?" One of the turtle's heads turned to reply to Baihumon's inquiry. "Oh, nothing much. Other than Millenniumon summoning a few soldiers from the Dark Ocean and sending them to wreak havoc in the human world inside Zhuqiaomon's realm..." Baihumon started grumbling. "I had to ask."   
  
Azulongmon noticed the puzzled look on Ryo's face. "The Dark Ocean...that's where everybody's negative thoughts and forgotten dreams exist. It also gave rise to extremely powerful and evil Digimon who were able to concentrate on tapping into those negative feelings and channel it into the power needed to digivolve. The only known way to pass through into the Dark Ocean is to concentrate on negative thoughts."  
  
Zhuqiaomon decided to make a few additions to the statement. "From what we can tell, the Dark Ocean is connected to all of our realms. Practically, this ocean is at least five times bigger than your two biggest oceans combined!! Plus, the amount of negative energy creates problems for anyone attempting to summon a creature directly from the realm. Trying to maintain on the gateways between the Dark Ocean and the other realms is extremely difficult."  
  
Ebonwumon started to give a hearty chuckle. The others looked at him as if he had gone mad. "Hmmmm...I believe the pressure of the situation has gotten to our elder brother," stated Baihumon. Both of the turtle's heads gave dangerous glares at the guardian of the Western Sector. "I'm perfectly fine!! I just realized that if Millenniumon is focusing his energies on summoning creatures from the Dark Ocean, he won't have as much control over the other gateways that connect our worlds!!"  
  
Ryo's mood had considerably brightened up. "Alright then!! I should be sent to that world to help the chosen...whoever they are." "Wait!! We don't know how exactly Millenniumon's control is being affected. We must be cautious in how we can take advantage of this weakness," warned Azulongmon.  
  
Ebonwumon spoke slowly. "I would wager that he can still sense humans crossing the gateway. He wouldn't want to deal with any of the chosen children. Not now anyway...I suppose we can bring forth some Digimon. We can help to disguise their data trail as natural elements in the gateway. All we'll need now is for you to use a pair of digicores to revive the two halves of one of the greatest warriors of all time." Azulongmon slowly realized what Ebonwumon was getting at. "I just hope that they can successfully become the warrior. They won't have as much human support unlike the Diaboromon incident a few years ago."   
  
************  
  
"And this is when it was my birfday!! I got lots of pwesents from evewybody!!!" Suzie was proudly showing off the photo album to Antylamon. "My daddy got me this dollhouse!! I could show it to you!" The ultimate Digimon blinked in surprise. A child who can still play even when her world is in danger. Remarkable. "Sure...when was your birthday?" Suzie started to think. "It was Feb...Feb..."  
  
"February." Suzie looked up to see her older sister who has been able to find the strength to accept the fact that Digimon exist and that they're more than a game. She gently picked up her sibling. "So how's our little rabbit?" Suzie started to pout. "I onwy want mommy and daddy to call me wittle wabbit."  
  
"Little rabbit? I thought your sister was a human." The other girl started to laugh. "I guess you don't know much about the Chinese zodiac. You see, each year is named after one of the twelve beasts. It just so happens that Suzie was born on the first day of the year of the rabbit back in 1999 so all of us call her little rabbit."  
  
"We're going to have to hunt him down before he can hurt anymore innocents. With Azulongmon's digicore and the fact that Guilmon can digivolve to mega, I think we have enough firepower to finish off Shadowgallantmon," stated Henry. Takato wasn't sure what effect this would have on him but he had to take the risk.   
  
All of the Digimon partners belonging to the Digidestined have digivolved to rookie. Salamon still remained in her rookie form but it wouldn't take too much out of her to digivolve to champion. The room remained silent for a few moments until Henry's brother came in with the radio. "Guys, I think you should listen to this!!"  
  
The tamers and the Digidestined crowded around the radio. "According to media sources from Canada, the United States, France and China, there have been reports of a powerful monster destroying the capital city of each respective country. All attempts to subdue the creature have proven futile..."   
  
Henry clenched his fists. "Great...Shadowgallantmon will have to wait. We have to go to each of those countries and stop those Digimon!!" Yolei narrowed her eyes. "And how exactly can we get there? It's not like we have a private airplane or something!!" The boy took out the digicore. "As a matter of fact, we do...Imperialdramon!!"  
  
"Imperialdramon? Who the heck is that guy?" asked Davis. Rika crossed her arms. "It's the mega form of Paildramon. All you need to do is get Veemon to digivolve to champion and then to DNA digivolve with Stingmon. Leave the rest up to the digicore and your partner."  
  
"Well, Imperialdramon has to be huge if he can carry us all around the world," stated TK. Henry looked at his father. Janyu gave a small sigh. He knew that look in his son's face that whatever he said, Henry would leave anyway. The situation has become more extreme and it requires him to do something. "Be careful, son."   
  
"Hold it...I'm getting an update on the crisis...it seems that all of the monsters have left the capital cities of those countries and are heading off to destroy other cities." A small drop of sweat rolled down Cody's cheek. "Now we'll have no way to track those renegade Digimon down!!"  
  
"They're too far away for your Digimon to use their senses. I don't suppose that you can use your compass or something..." Kari drifted off in the middle of her sentence. Takato gave a weary sigh. "I think it only works in short range or something. We're just going to have to figure this out...and we have to do this carefully and quickly. Imperialdramon may not have a lot of energy left after digivolving to mega."  
  
Rika raised an eyebrow. "Since when did you become the tactical expert, goggle head?" The boy's red eyes came to rest lazily on Rika. "Well, I kind of developed a tactical instinct by hanging around you...and Henry of course." Takato silently gave a 'whew' in his mind. "Whatever. Let's follow the others."  
  
The group quickly made their way to a place that had enough room to contain Imperialdramon and where there were no spectators. Ken took out his Digivice. "I guess it's time to save the world, Wormmon!!" A voice came out of nowhere, shattering the silence. "Good grief...you actually think you're going to save the world? With the powers your Digimon possess up against the powers that are approaching quickly...it'll only take them about three minutes tops to turn everybody into street pizza." The voice sounded shocking familiar to the boy. "I...I know you...don't I?"  
  
"Who's there? Show yourself!!" demanded Renamon. Veemon started to stroke his chin. 'Something about this guy just feels weird.' The voice gave a small grunt as if he were struggling with something. "Normally, I would be here but thanks to this accursed...goo, I have been forced to delay my arrival. But I'm sure that my friends will be more than happy to get things started."  
  
A compass popped up on Rika's Digivice. She took it out and noticed there were four signatures around the group that were getting closer. A blast of wind hit the group and nearly knocked them off balance. When they got up again, they saw a huge shadow over them. He had wings on his back, along with a cannon. His skin colours were mostly black, red and a bit of white. Takato went pale as he recognized that Digimon. "Imperialdramon?!?!"   
  
TK heard a growl over to his left. He looked to see a familiar shape but when the shape came into view, he noticed that instead of a blue metallic alloy, it was black. "You don't look right...you can't be him..." The viral version of Metalgarurumon just ignored the boy's rantings.  
  
Kari frantically fought the urge to hyperventilate. She started to relax when she saw the shape of Wargreymon underneath one of the buildings. The girl was about to call out when she saw that it wasn't Wargreymon at all. He had black skin with grey armour. Red eyes and hair along with red garments finished off his look. Henry whipped out his Digivice to scan this new version of Blackwargreymon. "His red hair and eyes indicate that his power is stronger than the other Blackwargreymon. He also turns berserk during the heat of battle, increasing his attack power for a short duration of time."  
  
Rika wiped some sweat off her forehead. One mega Digimon they could handle. Two is a bit stretchy. But definitely not three. She snapped out of her thoughts when she heard a small hiss come out of Renamon. A few hundred metres from their position, another Digimon simply stood there with a cold look in her eyes. She looked exactly like Taomon except she had black pants and black headgear. Rather than yellow fur, she had blue fur. Her shirt had the Ying-Yang sign but other than that, it was mostly white with bits of black. Rika knew that she saw a card with the exact same picture once. "That's not Taomon...it's..." Renamon remembered seeing that card once on Rika's shelf. The vulpine Digimon snarled as she spat out the name. "...Doumon."  
  
  
Well, school is getting more hectic so sorry for the late delay. Not much Rukato yet but with the structure that I have in mind, I'm estimating that the major part will come in chapter 34. I seriously need good attack names for Sakuyamon. Maybe then, I can figure something out for Kuzuhamon. I'm only making estimations for how long it would take to get to Henry's house. 


	32. Fourth Configuration, Section Two

Author's Notes: If you ever played an RPG before (a tabletop one like Rifts or Dungeons and Dragons...not Final Fantasy), then you know how time seems to pass during combat preparation when in fact, only a few seconds have passed in the enemy's perspective. I suppose that's why the enemy Digimon don't really attack while their opponents are digivolving for battle.   
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban, Toei Animation and whoever else owns it.  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 4.2  
  
'Whoa...it sure is quiet. I wonder where is everybody?' Calumon was hopping from rooftop to rooftop. So far, he hadn't spotted any people. Typically, the streets were filled with people going about with their evening activities but tonight, they were empty. Calumon was about to head off in another direction when something flew over him. For a split second, the in-training Digimon could feel rubber on the top of his head.   
  
The next thing he knew, there was a loud screech as if a vehicle is coming to a stop. He looked behind him to see a large motorcycle with a rider slowly dismounting off the vehicle. Calumon started to feel a bit nervous in front of this dark presence. "Um...y-you should be more careful..."  
  
The demon lord Digimon crouched down to get a closer look at Calumon. "You look kind of familiar..." His thoughts drifted back to the time when he was Impmon and it suddenly came to him. "You were the humans' pet. The adorable innocent one. As soon as you cried out for help at that time, they immediately rushed to your rescue. I was hoping to meet your friends again but since you're here..." Calumon tried to back away but tripped and fell flat on his back. Beelzemon gave a savage grin as he got closer. Then a startling red beam of light erupted from the in-training Digimon. At the same time, about 10 kilometres away, a bright light was shining as if tapping into the red beam's radiance. The demon lord Digimon noticed this. "What in the...?"  
  
************  
  
"You're doing fine, Ken!! Don't think about that bad memory!!! Focus on helping Paildramon get to the next level!!" Yolei's words seemed to have a partial impact on the boy. Although he was feeling a bit better, he couldn't help wondering why that voice sounded so familiar. The more puzzling question is why couldn't he remember where it came from. Every time he tried to remember, it was like something was blocking him out. 'Maybe it's some sort of repressed memory...but I have to know. Sooner or later, I'm going to have to face it...'   
  
The tamers' Digimon had quickly digivolved to ultimate with a blue card. Needless to say, Rika was pissed off that Takato couldn't get Guilmon to digivolve to mega. The boy's only response was that he was only able to do it in the heat of the moment last time. All three Digimon quickly went on the offensive against Doumon. Although she was outnumbered, there were a few tricks up her sleeve that could even the odds. Henry quickly glanced at Angemon, Gatomon and Paildramon who were waiting for their upgrade. 'I hope this works.' He took out the digicore.   
  
"Gatomon digivolved to...Angewomon!!"  
"Angemon digivolved to...MagnaAngemon!!!"   
"Paildramon mega-digivolved to...Imperialdramon!!!"  
  
The viral Imperialdramon raised one of his front claws to attempt an attack. "Mega Crusher!!" Imperialdramon tackled his counterpart to the ground before taking off in the air. A growl came from the mega virus Digimon before he took off in pursuit. He was about to fire a Positron Laser but the other Imperialdramon flew off at a great speed.  
  
Digmon and MagnaAngemon had their hands full trying to deal with Blackwargreymon, who was already firing Terra Destroyers in a reckless fashion. Buildings were quickly demolished as the berserk dragon man Digimon went on his rampage. Meanwhile, Metalgarurumon started firing beams of energy from his snout at Angewomon and Halsemon. The armored Digimon barely got out of the way while Angewomon gracefully dodged all of them before summoning three Celestial Arrows. (AN: You could think of it like Pajiramon's crossbow...you could also think about it like to Galuda's Arrow Power Fusion attack) "An ultimate and an armored up against a mega...I like these odds," grumbled TK.   
  
Takato quickly checked out Doumon's statistics on his Digivice. "This Digimon is an ultimate. Data type. Her special attacks are Spell Prohibitor, Cursed Scrolls and...Hell's Gateway?" He looked up to see Doumon countering every one of Taomon's attacks. Rika clenched her fists. "It's like Taomon's fighting someone who has been designed specifically to fight her!!"  
  
Henry prepared to take out a card. "Then let's try and confuse her!! Rapidmon, get in there!!" The cyborg Digimon was about to fire some missiles when he heard screams of agony in the background. He glanced over to see Halsemon, Digmon, MagnaAngemon and Angewomon caught in Metalgarurumon's missile assault. Blackwargreymon looked like he was about to fire a Terra Destroyer. "But the others need our help!!"   
  
"Then help them already!! We can handle ourselves!!!" Rika took out a card along with her Digivice. "But Rika-" Takato's meek attempt to protest was cut off. "Get going, goggle head!!!" snapped the girl. Taomon fired another attack but it was quickly countered by Doumon.   
  
************  
  
Yamaki entered the room where his Plan B project lay in front of him. "What's our status?" One of the engineers looked at the man wearily. "Installation of the weapons and propulsion systems is complete. The primary programming has also been installed but for some reason, Grani is not responding to our commands."  
  
"What do you mean not responding?!?" The engineer brought up a schematic of the unit's computer core. "We've identified the problem but all attempts to flush it out of the system have proven futile. We've even tried to reboot the whole thing but the data still remains lodged in the computer memory." Yamaki looked closer at the monitor as it displayed the subroutines of the program that is currently in its memory core. 'Could it be that those wild ones were able to corrupt the programming?' The man glanced over at the giant red dragon-like machine, hoping to find some sort of answer before it was too late for mankind.  
  
************  
  
"You can't be serious, Ryo!!! What you're proposing is absolutely insane!! You would be signing your own death warrant if you even try!!" The boy had examined his plan very carefully and knew that the others would have doubts. "Well, I have faced Millenniumon and came out victorious. This shouldn't be too difficult. I do understand how this is different so you don't have to lecture me, Azulongmon."  
  
Azulongmon continued to speak. "The Dark Ocean is a plane where nothing is for certain. The fact that it is a place of discarded dreams and negative thoughts means that it is not suitable as a way to get in between worlds!!" Ryo crossed his arms. "The normal dimensional pathways are blocked by Millenniumon. Since he's focusing on them, he won't be able to do anything about travel in and out of the Dark Ocean. That means I can slip in, find out where I need to go and take him by surprise!!"  
  
"The problem is that you don't know where you need to go!! We can safely assume that it is very difficult to find the dimensional openings between worlds in the Dark Ocean. What would happen if you got lost?" asked Baihumon. Ryo was about to state how he had to take the risk when Ebonwumon spoke up. "It may be possible to create an anchor of some sort. But it would be very tricky."  
  
Zhuqiaomon narrowed his eyes. "And how exactly can we create this anchor?" The turtle had a little smile on his face. "The answer is right in front of you, my friend." The phoenix wasn't sure what he meant until he saw them fly around. "Well, I'll be...using the Digital Gnomes as an anchor. Not bad for someone who is supposed to have a slow wit." Ebonwumon ignored Zhuqiaomon's last statement.  
  
************  
  
"Our attacks aren't doing any damage!! Any plans up your sleeve, Henry?" The boy wasn't sure how to respond to Cody's query. Although Wargrowlmon and Rapidmon had joined in the fight against Blackwargreymon and Metalgarurumon, they didn't make too much of a difference. Even with Henry and Takato slashing cards through their Digivices, the two megas were still too powerful for them. Before Henry could try and give an answer, Blackwargreymon and Metalgarurumon prepared to unleash their attacks. "Terra Destroyer!!" "Giga Missile!!!"   
  
"Aw, man!!! This really bites!! I'm too young to die!!!" wailed Davis. Before the red ball of energy and the missile could hit the group, a pair of voices came out of nowhere. "Terra Force!!!" "Metal Wolf Claw!!!!" Then an orange ball of energy and a white beam nullified the two other attacks.   
  
A look of relief came across Kari's face as she saw two familiar mega Digimon. "Wargreymon and Metalgarurumon!! How did you two get here?" The vaccine dragon man Digimon took a protective stance in front of the group. "It's a bit of a story. Remind me to tell it to you some time!" Blackwargreymon flew at his vaccine counterpart in a rage. Wargreymon had barely enough time to parry the attacks with his claws. Digmon and MagnaAngemon slowly got up to try and assist Wargreymon. Angewomon and Halsemon tried to shake off the pain just as Metalgarurumon engaged his counterpart.  
  
Meanwhile, Taomon was having some trouble against Doumon. "Thousand Spells!!" Several red pieces of paper flew out of her sleeves. Doumon simply concentrated before making a counterattack. "Spell Prohibitor!!" Immediately, the red papers dissipated into thin air. Rika whipped out a card. "Digi Modify!!! Battle Tomahawk Activate!!"   
  
A weapon appeared out of nowhere in Taomon's arms. She gripped on to it as best as she could before charging at her opponent. Doumon blocked her attacks before knocking the weapon out of Taomon's grip. "Cursed Scroll!!!" She fired some scrolls from her sleeve. "Digi Modify!! Hyperspeed Activate!!" Taomon got out of the way before those scrolls could hit her.   
  
"Rapid Fire!!!" "Atomic Blaster!!!" Doumon was knocked back by those two attacks. Rika looked behind her to see Rapidmon, Wargrowlmon, Henry and Takato. "What are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you be helping the others?" Rapidmon prepared to fire some more missiles. "We were able to get some reinforcements."  
  
The three ultimate Digimon prepared to close in on Doumon when several scrolls came out of nowhere. Taomon and Rapidmon got out of the way but Wargrowlmon became temporarily incapacitated. Takato ran over to see what he could do to help. "Hell's Gateway!!!" The next thing Rapidmon knew, he couldn't move. A giant gate appeared behind him. He could feel the amount of dark energy coming from the other side. The power of the vacuum started to drag him back. "Hang on Rapidmon!! Digi Modify!!! Alias Activate!!" Terriermon was ejected from Rapidmon's form as the gateway got nothing but data. Henry quickly caught the tired rookie Digimon.  
  
"Talisman Sp-" Taomon never got to finish the attack when Doumon landed a heavy hit. "Cursed Scroll!!!" The other ultimate Digimon didn't have a chance to get away as she was still trying to recover from the blow. As soon as the scroll hit her, she could feel her whole body tearing itself apart.   
  
At first, Rika couldn't understand how come Taomon was in so much pain. She was certain that her partner can take much more than that. 'What is going on here...oh, no!!! In the card game, Doumon's attack power quadruples against Taomon!!! How could I have been so stupid?!?!' She frantically searched her card pouch for an Alias card. When she looked up again, she was just in time to watch her partner decompile into data. "Taomon!!!!!!!"  
  
************  
  
Beelzemon sped through the city, hungry for battle. 'Those kids have got to be there. If not...at least I get some more Digimon to absorb. Either way, I win...' He twisted the handles on Behemoth, trying to get some more speed. Instead, he got knocked off the motorcycle by an unknown figure. A snarl made its way to the demon lord's lips as he took out a shotgun. "Douple Impact!!!"   
  
Rather than tearing through the target, the bullet bounced off harmlessly. Beelzemon was startled to say the least. In front of him, the figure gave a chuckle. "If I ever meet the person who invented delivery service, I must remember to thank him." His chuckle turned into a dark laugh as he raised his silver and blue lance to engage in battle.  
  
  
A bit shorter than the typical chapter. Anyways, I would like to thank Andrew for providing me with Sakuyamon's attack names. At least on the video game anyway. Now I can create attack names for Kuzuhamon based on the other names. And if you don't know who is Kuzuhamon, just wait until the next chapter. This is probably not the best way to end the chapter so I'm sorry if anybody feels disappointed. 


	33. Fourth Configuration, Section Three

Author's Notes: If you're saying Exveemon and Stingmon can't communicate to each other in their DNA digivolved form, you should take a look at the episode in the second season when Silphymon appeared for the first time. Aquilamon and Gatomon were talking directly to each other in a way.  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban, Toei Animation and whoever else owns it.  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 4.3  
  
"Positron Laser!!!" Up in the sky, the two Imperialdramons were engaged in a deadly battle with the viral version being the more aggressive fighter at this point. The vaccine version flew around for another assault. "I hope you know what you're doing, Exveemon!!" exclaimed the worried Stingmon.   
  
"Piece of cake. It's just a little game I call chicken..." The vaccine version of Imperialdramon was flying forward at full speed. His viral counterpart flew forward as well except he had his Positron Laser charged. Exveemon gave a tiny gulp. "Get down!!!!" Just as the viral Imperialdramon fired his energy blast, the vaccine version dived down towards the ground.   
  
"We need to come up with a plan!! Let's slow down and think for a bit!!" Exveemon was slightly surprised by the sudden change of attitude in Stingmon. He concentrated on slowing down with Stingmon doing the same thing. Just then, he heard a girl screaming out the name of her fallen partner. The mega Digimon saw Taomon's physical form dissipate into data while Doumon prepared to absorb it. Exveemon remained silent for a moment before screaming out his own pain and anguish. Stingmon started to feel a bit uncomfortable. "Exveemon?"  
  
"I just got the perfect idea. We go over there and kick some ass!!!" Suddenly, they were slammed from behind as the viral Imperialdramon tackled them. His cannon was still recharging for another shot. "But first, we beat this guy up to a pulp where his remains won't be enough to fill an ashtray!!!" While Exveemon prepared to go into battle, Stingmon just tried to figure out what just happened. 'What does he mean the remains won't be enough to fill an ashtray? Well...it's Exveemon. Go figure.'  
  
"Oh my God..." Yolei's statement pretty much summarized the thoughts and emotions that were running through each of their heads. The other Digidestined just stared in shock as the scene unfolded before them. Davis took off his goggles as to show a sign of respect to their fallen comrade. "She saw her partner killed in front of her...I don't know if any of us will be able to take that," murmured Cody.  
  
'This isn't happening...I can't lose her!!!' Rika Nonaka stood on the ground in a state of emotional pain. The Digimon Queen, the city champion of the Digimon Trading Card Game Youth Division Tournament, has just lost the biggest battle in her entire life. She felt Henry tug at her arm. "We have to get out of here and regroup with the others."  
  
Rika didn't even hear Henry's words. She just kept watching as Doumon uploaded Taomon's data. Her hand gripped the Digivice even tighter. "I don't want it to end like this...please let me save her," choked the girl. A small Tao symbol flickered on the screen of her Digivice. "PLEASE LET ME SAVE HER!!!!!!"  
  
A blast of light erupted from her entire body and blinded everyone in front. Takato, Terriermon, Henry and Wargrowlmon had to shield their eyes. Henry tried to see what was going on. For a minute, he thought he saw Rika's spirit flying towards Doumon during the upload sequence. He quickly shut his eyes again. When the light show was over, the group opened their eyes and gasped.  
  
Rika had disappeared as well as Doumon. Instead a new figure stood in the place of Doumon. She had blue gloves and boots with a Tao symbol on them. Her shoulder and breast plates were also blue. A black bodysuit covered her legs, midriff and arms. A silver belt hung around her waist. She had on a mask which appeared to be a fox except it was completely blue, except for some darkened areas for the eyes and nose. There were two ponytails of white hair. In her right arm, a silver staff with ornaments glittered in the moonlight. Davis broke the silence. "What just happened?" Ken slowly realized that their odds of winning had just decreased. "I don't think I want to know."  
  
************  
  
When Rika became aware of her surroundings again, she noticed that she was in some sort of void, where she could only see blue from all sides. She gave a small gasp at how her appearance has changed. Rather than her typical tomboyish outfit, she was wearing a Japanese kimono fit for an empress. Her red hair has been let down as well. If her mother saw her now...Rika shook off that thought and focused on the task at hand. "Renamon!!!"  
  
She kept walking around this endless void, searching for any sign of her partner. After what seemed to be an eternity, she just sat down and silently sobbed. "Dammit!!! Why did you have to leave me?!?" Out of nowhere, a familiar voice echoed throughout the void. "I haven't left you, Rika."  
  
Her tears of sadness quickly became tears of joy. 'She's alive!!!' The girl wanted to find Renamon and give her a hug but she couldn't see the vulpine Digimon anywhere. "Where are you, Renamon?" There was silence for a moment until her voice began to speak again. "I'm not sure. I...I can't feel my body. To be honest...I don't think I have a body anymore. But I can feel you...your strong will, your emotions...everything."  
  
A look of confusion crossed the girl's face. "I-I don't understand. Are you saying that we became one or something?" Her partner thought about how to explain this before answering. "Do you remember when Takato and Guilmon somehow became one powerful being? I'm assuming that the same must have happened to us. I only wish we had some more answers."  
  
"I recall Shadowgallantmon talking about it back in the digital world in the Digidestined realm. He went on rambling about how a tamer's essence can bring out a Digimon's maximum power. I think we've reached mega level, Renamon. But you were being absorbed by Doumon. So...now I'm majorly lost." Rika patiently waited for a reply from her partner. "Do you remember how when a Digimon absorbs the data of the opponent that had just been defeated, the victor's personality dominates? I've heard of a few rare cases in which the victim's mind was able to overcome the dominant one. Then the victim subsequently assumes control of the victor's body. This can only be done with some sort of external assistance."  
  
Renamon paused. "In our case, Doumon was in the middle of absorbing my data. Then you activated your essence and together, we overcame Doumon. Her personality must have been lost while I assumed control. From what I remember, Takato was the one in control when he became Gallantmon so you'll have to take control when I'm in this form." Rika gave a small chuckle as a thought occurred to her. "At least you can go back to your old self in this body. After all, Doumon's rookie form is..."   
  
A small snort came from the vulpine Digimon. "I get the idea." With a few answers about what has happened in mind, Rika set out to try out the new body. She concentrated for a few moments. It wasn't long until she felt herself standing on the ground. She could see her friends and the other Digimon. Rika looked at herself for a moment. 'Wait a second...this isn't Renamon's real mega form. It's Doumon's...'  
  
************  
  
Henry took out his Digivice to scan the new Digimon. "Kuzuhamon. A mega level, dark shaman Digimon. Data type. Her specialty attacks are Demon Helix and Dark Triad. Let's see the evolution chain..." (AN: An evolution chain would be the stages and forms a Digimon takes on at each level. An example would be Tokomon, Patamon, Angemon, MagnaAngemon and Seraphimon. And I don't know Patamon's baby form so quit bugging me about it!!) Before he can continue, Takato ran up to him and started shaking him hard. "What happened?!? Where's Rika?!?"   
  
Terriermon had a worried look on his face. Takato wasn't the type of person to go into this type of frenzy. He considered saying 'momentai' but somehow it didn't seem that would be enough. Henry tried to calm his friend down. "From what I've seen, Kuzuhamon there is Doumon's mega form. But I don't see how she could have gotten to that level by just absorbing Taomon's data...unless..." Takato started to shake Henry again. "Unless what?!?! Tell me!!!!!"  
  
"I tried to see what was going on during the whole thing. I barely saw Rika transforming into a beam of light and heading towards Taomon's data. The next thing we see...Kuzuhamon. This is only a hunch but I think Rika must have tapped into her essence at the last moment to save Taomon. A last ditch effort. But instead of helping Taomon, Doumon absorbed the essence as well and she reaches mega without too much of a problem. We have to assume the worst case scenario...Rika and Renamon have died in the line of duty. Now we have to fight a fourth mega Digimon. I suggest we retreat and try to come up with a new plan." In the background, noises from the ongoing battles could be heard. Even when they are outnumbered, Blackwargreymon and Metalgarurumon have proven to be a handful for the Digidestined.   
  
Takato collapsed to the ground, trying to soak in all this information at once. Henry placed a hand on his friend's shoulder. "I know it's hard to accept the fact but she's not coming back. We can mourn for her later...but we can't let her sacrifice be in vain. The battle may be lost but we have to stay alive to finish the war." The boy just remained silent. Terriermon slowly walked up to stare Takato right in the eye. "She wouldn't want you to be sad or anything. Actually, she would want you to kick some ass!!" His tamer gave a sharp glare.   
  
Takato got up but he was a bit shaky. A small, almost insane, smile crossed his face. His red eyes had a glazed look in them. Henry felt like that he was dealing with a highly dangerous mental patient rather than his friend. "It was on the day I got my Digivice. The egg was getting ready to hatch into Guilmon...that night, I dreamt about her. Rika and Renamon battled some powerful Digimon...they beat it without a problem." Terriermon had a small surprised look on his face. "No wonder you're all sad...she was your dream girl."  
  
The boy continued to speak. "I don't know why I dreamt about her. There was something that just drew me to her. Underneath all that cold attitude lay a good person. Full of heart and emotion...if you felt it, you would almost think you were in heaven." Henry slowly understood the reason behind Takato's behaviour. "You loved her, didn't you?"  
  
A sorrowful look replaced the psychotic one on the boy's face. "I must be the saddest person in the universe. I only knew her for a few days and I fell head over heels in love. If she ever found out, she would beat me up to a pulp...but I think it would have been worth the risk. Now I'll never get to tell her..." Terriermon crossed his small arms. "Well...there is such a thing as love at first sight-" Henry gave his partner a not so gentle jab to indicate that he wasn't helping.   
  
Unknown to the group, Rika overheard everything, thanks to Kuzuhamon's excellent hearing. Her mind went out of focus and her essence was transferred back to the void to think about what they just said. 'He loves me?!? But it can't...it's impossible!! It just doesn't make sense!!'  
  
"We better go before Kuzuhamon gets any ideas..." The other boy didn't move. "You go then...I've got some unfinished business to take care of." Behind them, Wargrowlmon stepped forward, ready to fight. Henry looked at Kuzuhamon, who remained motionless. 'What is she waiting for?!'  
  
He tried to talk to Takato again but before he can even speak, the other boy looked at him. Once again, the dark psychotic look had reappeared on his face again. "Rika would want me to fight to the end. That's what I'll do...I'm also obligated to deliver justice for her wrongful death." He raised his Digivice slowly. "That murderer will get what she deserves," spat the boy. What Henry saw on the screen of the Digivice disturbed him greatly. Guilmon's viral icon had appeared and was glowing a blood red. He looked over to see the viral icon on Wargrowlmon's chest flashing. 'Oh no...'  
  
************  
  
Ryo gasped for air as he just survived the trip through the Dark Gate. He had to find his negative emotions and channel them so that the Holy Beasts could open a gateway. Cyberdramon stood silently by his side. The boy slowly got up to see nothing but black and white. "This is disturbing, Cyberdramon. Let's try and find the portal..." Cyberdramon only gave a grunt.   
  
He could feel the energy of the Digital Gnomes tugging at him. Ebonwumon was able to use their energy as an anchor of some sort. If he was in any trouble, the energy signature of the Digital Gnomes would fluctuate, signalling that there was something wrong. Then the Holy Beasts would pull him back to safety.  
  
Ryo walked along one of the beaches, searching for some sort of clue. It wasn't until Cyberdramon gave a growl. "I've found something..." The boy looked at what Cyberdramon was talking about. In the waters of the Dark Ocean, there was a bottle with some sort of message in it. Cyberdramon flew over to get it.  
  
"Let's see what's in this little bottle." Ryo popped the cork and took out the paper carefully. "This thing says... 'Whoever is bound to one of the Four Great Dragons shall gain an insight to worlds beyond their own.' What does that mean?" Cyberdramon gave a shrug. Ryo narrowed his blue eyes. "Let's keep going, Cyberdramon."  
  
************  
  
"Rika? You seem to be disturbed." The girl gave a dry laugh. "That's an understatement, Renamon. I just checked out our new form...and it turns out that we have digivolved to Doumon's mega form. Not only that, I learn that goggle head is totally in love with me!! Can you believe this?"  
  
"So what do you plan to do about it? If you do plan to hurt him...then do it gently. His emotional pain will be far greater than any physical pain that can be inflicted." Rika blinked at what her partner suggested. "I don't plan to hurt him...but I still need to find a way to deal with this. Heck, I don't even know what I feel towards him."  
  
"What do you think about him? Do you feel that when he's around, he instills a feeling inside your heart that you've never felt before?" Rika started sputtering out her next words. "W-well...he's the most immature kid I've ever seen!! A-and...he's not exactly the best Digimon tamer too!! Um...he's a goggle head, meaning that intelligence isn't his best quality and he can be naive to what's in front of him, although he does look kind of cute when he realizes that he did something completely stupid-" The girl clamped her hands over her mouth.   
  
"Cute? Now that's something I don't hear you say very often." The vulpine Digimon's amused tone embarassed Rika even more. "If you tell anybody about this conversation, I'll come up with a training routine so brutal that not even a mega Digimon can endure it!! Anyways, I can deal with these feelings after we help our friends fight those other mega Digimon!"  
  
"That would be an excellent idea. However, I suggest we help ourselves first as there is a rampaging red dragon charging at us." Rika was about to ask how Renamon knew that when she felt herself being tossed back into reality. When she came to, she saw a powerful red dragon with Guilmon's viral icon on his chest and shoulders charging towards her at full speed. And the murderous glare in his eyes indicated that he wasn't very happy. Behind the dragon, Henry and Terriermon watched with horror and awe in their eyes. The rabbit Digimon's next statement pretty much summarized the situation. "He's baaaaack..."  
  
  
I only wrote the additional a's to show that he's stretching the vowel. Kind of like when R.L. Stine did it in "Monster Blood II" as the opening sentence in the summary. I wrote in that segment about the Four Dragons to help understand why Kari and Takato have special powers. This is only what I think. I'm not complete sure if that's the case in the show. If you still need further explanation, I guess I can talk about it next time. As for Kuzuhamon, simply think of Sakuyamon and replace the yellow and purple with blue. The gold staff becomes silver as well as the little fox on the belt. That's it!! I would like to take this opportunity to thank Andrew for providing me with Sakuyamon's attack names in the video game. At least I was able to make up attack names for Kuzuhamon. Hopefully, this chapter was a little more appealing to Rukato fans. By the way, you'll probably want to tune in next time because...it's the major Rukato chapter! Message to all Canadian NHL teams: Let's bring the Stanley Cup back to Canada!! 


	34. Fourth Configuration, Section Four

Author's Notes: I've read a few more V-Tamer comics. Very interesting stuff...especially with the Digivices as watches and all. Taichi, Zero and Neo will eventually make their appearance in the story so be patient. There's a certain scene in the chapter where the melody from the song "Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me, Kill Me" by U2 assists in illustrating the mood. If you have it, you may want to play it when the scene comes along. Megagargomon will be coming in the next chapter so you can stop badgering me about it. As for Suzie getting her Digivice, I still haven't worked out the details but she'll get there.   
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban, Toei Animation and whoever else owns it.  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 4.4  
  
"Darkness Claw Attack!!" Beelzemon tried to slash his opponent but his claws got nothing but air. He looked behind to see Shadowgallantmon preparing to counterattack. "Obsidian Lance!!!" The next few moments for the demon lord Digimon were a blur as he was in too much pain from the repeated assaults from the lance. He finally collapsed on the ground. His shotguns lay beside him, empty. Even if Beelzemon had all the ammo in the world, it wouldn't make too much of a difference.   
  
A snort of disappointment came from the dark knight. "You're pathetic. Deleting you and absorbing your data would be a waste of time. These powers aren't truly your own. You're just pretending to be a powerful being when in fact you're nothing." Beelzemon struggled to get up. "No!!! I got power!!! And now I'm gonna use it to kick your rear end to the other side of the world!!!"  
  
"How amusing...you're making threats but you don't have the muscle to back them up. I would love to play some more but there's bigger fish to fry." Shadowgallantmon flew off, leaving Beelzemon with his own thoughts. 'This is what I've always wanted...it doesn't matter how I got here...does it?'  
  
************  
  
"Get us in as close as you can!! I want to get as much footage as possible!!" The pilot gave a nod as he flew in closer to the battle area. News helicopters were closing in to get footage of the battle of the century. The cameraman focused on several flying monsters fighting in the air. "Hey!! I think that looks like a monster on one of my kid's cards!!"  
  
The helicopter made a sharp turn to the left to avoid one of the energy discharges. This caused the cameraman to stumble and fall out of the helicopter. He expected to fall for about thirty seconds before hitting cement. Instead, he landed in the arms of an angel with blonde hair and a helmet. "Are you alright?" He could only nod meekly in front of the celestial being who caught him. "You shouldn't be here. This is a dangerous place." She quickly returned him to where he fell out before flying back to battle. The man only had one thought after that experience. 'I am so going to get hazard pay for this!!!'   
  
Before the dragon Digimon could bring his jaws down on his opponent, she dropped her staff and caught both jaws as they came down. Acidic saliva dripped onto her arm. The momentum of the dragon's charge was strong but Kuzuhamon stood her ground. 'I've seen him before...but where?'  
  
Henry took out his Digivice to get some statistics on Takato's demonic form. "Megidramon, a mega level dragon Digimon. Virus type. As the most powerful of the Four Great Dragons, his Megido Flame attack can raise the temperature of anything it hits up to 5000 degrees Celsius in a minute!!" Terriermon gave a tiny gulp. "I've said it before and I'll say it again...we're all going to die."  
  
"No, we're not. Megidramon is basically focused on killing Kuzuhamon. If we're lucky, he may turn on the other evil Digimon that the Digidestined are currently battling. But if he loses the battle, then we'll be in big trouble." Terriermon just gawked at his tamer's statement. "You're worried about him losing?!? I would be more worried about what will happen if he wins!!! For all we know, he could turn on us!!!"  
  
Megidramon landed a powerful blow to Kuzuhamon's solar plexus, knocking her on her back. He pounced to go in for the kill but she brought up her legs, placed her soles on Megidramon's chest to catch him and stretched her legs, tossing him back. She quickly flipped back up. Her staff flew right into her hand by reflex. An uncomfortable feeling burned in Rika's stomach. "R-Renamon? What's this s-strange feeling?"  
  
"As a dark shaman, Kuzuhamon feeds on souls who have not crossed over to the afterlife. She uses their despair to fuel her own power. That is the only explanation to all of these...apparitions appearing right here in this void. Don't worry about me. Stay focused on the task at hand, Rika!!" The girl started raising her staff. "Let's see what type of dark powers she has..." She focused on Kuzuhamon's card and the attack names on it. "Demon Helix!!"  
  
Several chains shot out from her staff to surround Megidramon. For a moment, they appeared to restrain the dragon. Kuzuhamon allowed a small smirk on her face. But that smirk quickly vanished when Megidramon burst up into the air and started diving down at his opponent. As he got closer, Kuzuhamon was able to see the murderous intensity reflected in his eyes. Then it hit her. It was during the time before they were taken to Renamon's digital world. She remembered hearing Takato scream in anger...red glowing...then a giant red dragon with the exact same murderous glare tackled the dark knight who was about to execute her. "Takato?"  
  
The dragon raised a fist as the distance between him and his target closed. Kuzuhamon got out of the way before Megidramon's punch could connect. All he did was punch a hole into the ground, creating some dust. "Renamon, this may sound a bit crazy but I think that's Takato attacking us!!" The vulpine Digimon concentrated to see what was on the outside. (AN: I'm thinking of this whole bio-merge thing like this...the tamers are in the driver's seat while the Digimon are on the passenger seat.) "There's only one Digimon that I know who has the same icon as that dragon...Guilmon!!"  
  
"This is one of those times when I wish I wasn't right. The big question is how did they digivolve into this...psychotic dragon?" Megidramon started to get up again. He shook off a bit of dust that had settled onto his wings. "The first time that he digivolved into this dark form was when Shadowgallantmon was about to destroy you for failure to comply with his ultimatum. I think that this form came into existence by an extreme emotional trigger. In this case, I believe that his anger is what caused this. His anger and pain...over you."  
  
Kuzuhamon quickly moved to avoid getting hit by Megidramon's Megido Flame attack. "What?!?" Her partner continued to speak. "It seems reasonable to assume that he believed that we had both died, thanks to Doumon. That would mean that he's made us his target and will stop at nothing until he destroys us."  
  
************  
  
The battle footage that had been shot by the news helicopters was being seen by people around the world. Within moments of seeing these events, activity on the net had skyrocketed. E-mails are flying everywhere with the main discussion topic being how things are going to change with Digimon being real. Adults were feeling frightened, especially if their children have Digimon merchandise. Chat rooms were being set up to discuss the recent events and toss around the idea that the good guys are going to win.  
  
"You're not going to believe this, sir...but network activity has doubled over the past eight minutes!!" Yamaki narrowed his eyes at Megan. "How is that possible? Network activity should have been completely shut down with these nuisances constantly bio-emerging in our world!!"  
  
Riley interrupted him. "Wait!! I may have an explanation...do you remember those two large signatures that were clogging up network activity? One of them has completely eliminated the other!! Now the remaining signature...appears to be preparing to bio-emerge!! At this rate, it will enter our world in five minutes!!"  
  
************  
  
The sky above rumbled but nobody took notice as they were too concerned with their own battles. So far, Blackwargreymon and Metalgarurumon have shown few signs of fatigue. "It's like they keep going and going!!" exclaimed Davis. "Maybe they're fuelled by the darkness like a solar battery is powered by the sun," noted Kari.  
  
"That would certainly explain why they've been a pain in the butt since the start of the battle," muttered Yolei. Cody just kept watching the above figures, flying around in a deadly yet captivating dance. "Maybe if we find out where the source of all this trouble is...that voice!! We've got to find out who spoke to us earlier just before they appeared!"  
  
Wargreymon was about to fire another attack when a small tingling feeling in the back of his head went off. "Terra Destroyer!!!" He didn't even notice the attack coming. Had Metalgarurumon not pushed him out at the last second, he would have sustained a serious amount of damage. "What's wrong with you?! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!?"  
  
"Sorry...but I could have sworn I felt something. Almost like the time when we both battled Diaboromon. Don't you remember?" The other mega Digimon gave him a strange look. "Yeah...I kind of feel it. But that's impossible...we're in the real world, not on the actual network!! How is this...?"  
  
"I don't know. But I can feel all of the courage and support of all of the humans. They must be aware of the battle. It's like the collective spirit has gone beyond the network and is now integrating into us...just like the Diaboromon battle."  
  
Metalgarurumon quickly fired several missiles to deflect a few attacks as well as stall for time. "Are you suggesting that we should attempt at the fusion? But we don't have Matt and Tai with us." The vaccine mega Digimon pointed a claw in the middle of his chest. "Tai's power and courage are within me...like Matt's are within yours. It doesn't matter that they're not physically here with us." The doubt started to wash away from Metalgarurumon's face as both Digimon begun to glow simultaneously. (AN: I'm going to change the DNA digivolution sequence and make it more like Transformers when Ultra Magnus and Optimus become Omega Prime. It's just more cool that way)  
  
"Combine into the ultimate warrior!!!!" Metalgarurumon's body transformed into an arm with his head changing into the barrel of a cannon. Another arm was formed, thanks to Wargreymon's body. White chest armor as well as legs formed to bring the two arms together. A white helmet appeared with blue eyes looking out of it. Finally a cape materialized, completing the transformation. "Omnimon awakens!!!"  
  
Ken was relieved to say the least at the arrival of the new Digimon. "That guy looks powerful enough to finish off Blackwargreymon and Metalgarurumon on his own!!" TK had a confused look on his face. "How were they able to DNA digivolve in the first place? It's not like we were on the network or anything. But I guess I shouldn't be complaining."  
  
************  
  
All twelve eyes of the three confused Holy Beasts were staring directly at Ebonwumon. Zhuqiaomon broke the silence. "Alright, elder brother. Spill it. How did you know that they would be able to fuse in the first place?" A small chuckle came from the turtle Digimon. "You have obviously forgotten how powerful the human spirit can be. However, since you would all prefer some sort of logical solution, the only theory I can come up with is that it was Millenniumon himself who allowed the fusion."  
  
Baihumon gave a growl of frustration. "That does not make any sense!! Why would Millenniumon even consider allowing this?" The other head of the vaccine Digimon started speaking. "He can't help it. Remember all the fluctuations he caused between the barriers between each of our realms, in both human and digital worlds? It is his very existence that causes these fluctuations. As a result, the amount of network data gathered from around the world must have strengthened Wargreymon and Metalgarurumon up to a point where they can fuse. Perhaps this also explains how your tamers are able to tap into their essences and become one with their partners in an environment where under normal circumstances it would be impossible." Zhuqiaomon merely grunted in response.  
  
"Speaking of the tamers...I do believe that one of them has become the most powerful of the Four Great Dragons due to a tragic loss. But he is emotionally unstable," stated Azulongmon. This earned a look of worry from Baihumon. "This is just what happened back in my realm...a Digimon reached mega level but was unable to control his own emotions after some friends were caught in the line of fire. As a result, he lost his mind, went viral and became a destructive force. Luckily, the Guard Tamers were able to stop him and send him to the confines of the Dark Ocean." The data Digimon paused to think about that particular Digimon. "And now he's back and combating his counterpart even as we speak."  
  
************  
  
Kuzuhamon deflected another attack as she kept playing 'keep away' with Megidramon. "Renamon, just how do we get through to Takato? The guy's so thick headed that-" She didn't have time to finish as Megidramon knocked her out of the air, forgetting about his aerial speed. He dived down, preparing to finish the job. Kuzuhamon sprang off from the ground and clamped the dragon tightly around the neck. He started thrashing wildly but she held her grip. By now, Kuzuhamon was more than annoyed at the dragon's assault based purely on uncontrolled anger. "Take a chill pill, goggle head!!!!"   
  
Henry and Terriermon gave simultaneous gasps. "I think that was Rika's voice!!" The other boy remained silent with this revelation. Megidramon stood still. Whatever remained of Takato Matsuki slowly asserted some control. Kuzuhamon spoke to him in a tone that he had heard only from one other person: Rika Nonaka. As the two Digimon descended to the ground, Kuzuhamon gently released her grip. Megidramon stood there, uncertain of what to do. The shaman Digimon gave a small sigh. 'Well...here goes nothing.'   
  
Before she could break the silence, Henry beat her to it. "Takato, stay focused!!! You've got to destroy Kuzuhamon before she gets another opportunity to hurt more innocent people!! Think about what happened when she killed Rika and Renamon!!" Kuzuhamon gave a start. 'Guess this explains about how that dragon appeared in the first place.' She took a quick glance at Henry. "Doumon didn't kill us, Henry. We were able to overwhelm her at the end when my essence joined with Renamon's data. After driving out her personality, we took control of this body."  
  
A poisonous look made its way to the boy's face. "Isn't that convenient. We get our friend back as well as another mega Digimon on our side. Rika always went with the idea that we must make our own advantages in battle. Anything else is usually too good to be true." The girl gave a small curse at her earlier train of thought. 'Of all the times he decides to take a page out of the Digimon Queen's book...'   
  
"You mean you're not going to even consider the possibility?! And I thought you were the type of person who would-" Henry quickly cut Terriermon off. "Rika's gone, Terriermon. It's going to be hard to accept it but we still have to face it in the end. All I see in Kuzuhamon is someone mimicking Rika to let our guard down. She may be a mega but Megidramon's got the type advantage. We don't know the effects of what happens when a Digimon absorbs the essence of a human in the middle of the downloading process. For all we know, Kuzuhamon has access to all of Rika's memories and inherited some of her personality traits. Then she could use them to her advantage to try and fool us."  
  
She focused her attention back on to Megidramon. So far, there didn't appear to be much life coming out of the dragon. A moment later, he started snarling again. "Somehow, being in this form isn't convincing him that we're fine. All he sees is the Digimon who they think destroyed us," stated Renamon. An idea popped into Rika's head. "Maybe we can show them your real mega form. I think it should convince them that we're in one piece. From what I remember on the card game...Sakuyamon." She concentrated on Sakuyamon's form.  
  
Yolei squinted her eyes to see what was going on. She wished she could go help the tamers but right now, their hands are full with three viral mega Digimon. Although they have been able to calm things down, their opponents have given them nothing but grief. Hopefully, Omnimon will be able to finish the job. 'Hang on, guys.'  
  
Henry clenched his fists. "What is Kuzuhamon up to...Takato, now's your chance!!" Megidramon was planning on attacking when Kuzuhamon's body emitted a powerful light. The next thing he knew, she was surrounded by cherry blossoms. Rather than her cold blue look, her upper torso had changed to yellow. Purple gloves and boots replaced the blue ones. The silver had been replaced by gold. Henry looked at his Digivice. "Sakuyamon...mega level, shaman Digimon. Data type. Her attacks are Dragon Helix, Fox Drive and Talisman Sphere. I guess this means that Kuzuhamon can tap directly into Renamon's data and use Sakuyamon's powers!!"  
  
Sakuyamon was overwhelmed by the amount of pain inside Megidramon's heart. 'He cared about me that much...I caused him so much pain.' Everything seemed to slow down as she saw Takato's essence. Rather than the cheerful goggle-headed boy she knew, she only saw a face twisted by pure hatred with his whole body engulfed by fire. In his eyes, she could see a large pool of lava...and someone was drowning in it. "What was that?!?"  
  
The vulpine Digimon seemed to be disturbed by the startling vision. "I would guess that we just had an encounter with Takato's demonic side. Filled with hatred, anger and primal emotions within the human heart." Rika shook her head. "No!! I mean what was that I saw in his eyes!! I think there's another Takato drowning in...something!!"  
  
"He's drowning in his own emotions. If he doesn't resolve this, he will be lost forever and pernamently remain as the creature before us. What he needs is the comfort of someone he loves...and who loves him back." Rika hesitated on what to do. "I-I can't...I was the one who caused him to hurt so much in the first place. Besides, I'm not very good when it comes to the department of love."  
  
Renamon was about to argue when her partner cut her off. "I've treated my mother and my grandmother like they weren't important. If I can't handle the love of relatives, how do you expect me to handle this romance?!? I'm...scared about this, Renamon." The vulpine Digimon remained silent for a few moments before speaking again. "I suppose it's the idea of losing control which scares you, Rika. Everyone would feel better if they were in control of every aspect of their lives. However, with love...you lose that control. The only way for love to work is for both partners to trust each other. There's a chance that it could be shattered but from what I have observed in your world...the rewards are far greater than the risks."  
  
Slowly, the words started to settle into Rika's mind. She felt that a great weight had been lifted off her shoulders. 'She's right. I-I don't believe this...a month ago, I would have been revolted at the idea of love...especially with Takato. But this feeling in my heart feels so warm. Right now, Takato needs that warmth.' She focused back to reality where Megidramon stood there, uncertain of what to do. Henry tried to get his friend back on track. "She's still Kuzuhamon, Takato!! All she did was use Renamon's data to take on Sakuyamon's form!!! You have to destroy her now!!!"   
  
Sakuyamon started walking towards the dragon. "Takato...please let me help you. Let me ease the pain in your heart." Megidramon flew back slightly, trying to figure things out. Henry continued to shout. "Don't fall for her tricks!! Concentrate on what happened earlier...when she took the lives of our friends!!!"   
  
The dragon Digimon clutched his head, trying to silence all the voices inside. He remained this way for a few moments until he felt another pair of hands on his face. Megidramon's arms dropped as he stared right into Sakuyamon's face. She leaned forward slowly. "Please...show me that the boy I fell in love with still exists," said the shaman Digimon in a whisper. The last thing he heard before he felt his world spiral out of control was Henry shouting his name to try and warn him. "Takato!!!!"  
  
************  
  
He could feel his body trapped within an ocean of anger, pain and other powerful emotions. Every time he struggled to get out, he felt himself being pulled even deeper. Finally, the forces that were pulling him beneath the surface have dragged his entire body underneath. The cold embrace of despair and darkness awaited him when hands shot out from above him to grab his armpits.   
  
A new surge of life went through him as he was pulled out. As he regained his vision, he saw a blue aura surrounding his savior's arms. He leaned back and was surprised to find a surface. The boy looked behind him to see some sort of...princess in a kimono. She had a gentle smile on her face. One person came to mind as he gazed upon her. "Rika?" He never got a chance to say anything else as his lips were covered by her own.  
  
************  
  
"Um...Henry? What are those two doing?" The boy looked in disbelief at the scene before him. Sakuyamon's lips were pressed firmly against Megidramon's. Terriermon poked his partner in the leg. "Hello? Anybody home?" Henry looked at his Digimon with a dark look on his face. "We've lost Takato...now this time, we're all gonna die." Terriermon gave a small pout. "That's my line!!"   
  
A brilliant red flare erupted from Megidramon. Henry knew that running wouldn't do any good. But one can imagine the surprise on his face when he saw Gallantmon in Megidramon's place. His red cape was flying freely in the wind. Sakuyamon stepped back. Without his face mask, Gallantmon's face looked so much like Takato's except with a few of Guilmon's features, like the red skin and golden eyes. The face mask materialized within a few moments. And the only thought that came to the holy knight's head was 'Whoa!!! This is going to be some story when someone asks me how my first kiss went!!'  
  
Henry still couldn't recover from the shock so Terriermon had to ask the obvious question. "How did you transform back? What just happened?" Gallantmon turned to face his friends. "Sakuyamon was able to bring back my real essence. When we kissed...her love flowed right through and was able to overwhelm my demonic side. I don't really remember what happened when I let those demons take control but I'm glad it's over."   
  
"Unbelievable!! I mean...of all the girls you could have...I mean you two a couple?!? That's insane!!! It's like a cat being in love with a mouse!! And Rika being all lovey dovey?!?" An annoyed look made its way to Sakuyamon's face. "Shut up, rabbit!!!" Terriermon raised an eyebrow. "Ooh la la...the bitch is back!"  
  
Gallantmon still couldn't believe what just happened. He just found out that the girl he was in love with loved him back. The holy knight smiled underneath his mask. "You just..." He wasn't sure what to say. Fortunately, Sakuyamon was able to fill in something. "...became a mega? Well, it's a bit weird but when you're a tamer, weird pretty much comes with the job description!"  
  
"No, no...what I mean is that you're...um..." He fought to get the words out. "...mega beautiful." Sakuyamon gave a small smile. The romantic moment got ruined when Terriermon's voice broke the silence. "That has got to be the corniest pick up line ever!!" Both megas shot dangerous looks at the rookie Digimon. "Shut up, rabbit!!"   
  
"Oh my God...what have I done?" Sakuyamon and Gallantmon were diverted by Henry's voice. He fell to his knees, sobbing. They both rushed over to him. "Henry, what's wrong?" The boy didn't even raise his head. "I-I just...I tried to get my friends to kill each other!!" Sakuyamon placed a hand on Henry's shoulder.  
  
"You didn't know, Henry. We don't really blame you or anything. You were just trying to do what's best for the team. You only assumed the worst case scenario so you can plan some sort of contingency plan." More tears continued to fall. "I should have considered the possibility that you were alive!!! Instead, I sent the two of you into a battle to the death!! Would a real friend do that?!?"  
  
Terriermon hopped on Henry's head and started patting him softly. "Don't take it too hard, Henry. It was an honest mistake. Momentai." A large clap of thunder echoed throughout the air. Sakuyamon and Gallantmon rose up in alarm. Then the holy knight Digimon saw something coming out from the sky. It was too far so he couldn't tell who it was. But he could have sworn that it looked a bit like Kimeramon except that it looked a lot darker. A cold shiver ran throughout his body as he waited for the inevitable arrival of the dark being before them.   
  
  
FINALLY!!! I thought I would never get this done!! This has got to be the second longest chapter in the book. Hopefully, I won't have to pull off something like this again. Oh, wait. My friend wants to say something.  
  
(red haired boy walks in. He's wearing glasses and is a bit chubby. Dressed in funky shirt from Hawaii and jeans)  
  
Friend: Hi! My name is Aaron and in the next chapter, I will be killed by a random Digimon character.  
  
Epsilon: No, you won't. A certain duo with initials TG and MM shall be killed. But now that you have revealed some of my plans in the future, you must be punished appropriately. Remember the Catapult?  
  
Aaron: Oh...right.   
  
(With the magic of fanfiction, Aaron is tied up and is ready to be launched. Epsilon is at control)  
  
Epsilon: By the way, if you are able to pass the third building, bring the case of Coke back here. We'll have a toast to you miraculously surviving. (proceeds to pull lever)  
  
Aaron: It's a DEEEAAAAAALLLLL!!!!! (says 'deal' when he goes airborne)  
  
If you didn't take Grade 12 English with me, then you probably won't get this so you can just skip below to the review section!!! 


	35. Fourth Configuration, Section Five

Author's Notes: I haven't figured out where to toss in Justimon so bear with me. Also, I'm giving cameo appearances to two fictional characters me and my friend came up with in Grade 12 English. If you want, you can skip down below to when the Wong family gets a shock concerning the youngest member of the family.  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban, Toei Animation and whoever else owns it. Trevor Goldberg and Maxwell Marshall belong to the creators of the somewhat utopian plane where the currency is Coca Cola and where the Catapult is part of the capital punishment system. InQuest Gamer magazine is published by Gareb Shamus Enterprises Incorporated. Magic belongs to Wizards of the Coast. I don't know who owns Apocalyptica (heavy metal combined with classical music). Star Trek belongs to Paramount. And I don't own Hamlet, Robot Wars, Godzilla or Coca Cola!!! Satisfied?!?  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 4.5  
  
Doctor Trevor Goldberg leaned back in his chair as he waited for the printer to finish spewing out his report. "I'm telling you, Max...the best quotation from any InQuest magazine has to be the Colonel Klink quote!! 'Ve have vays of making you tap!'" The red haired man gave a chuckle.   
  
His Chinese companion rolled his eyes. "You're nuts...I liked the one with Saint James on casting creatures. 'And they begat a Blastoderm. And it was damn good. And it did go forth and kicketh the ass of thine enemies. And it was good.' How's the report coming anyway?" Trevor got out of his chair to collect the papers. "Everything's right here. I tell ya...these are probably the most messed up patients we've had in our careers!!"  
  
Maxwell raised an eyebrow before pushing up the rims of his glasses. "Are you sure? Remember the time we spent working in Canada with those so called...Hamlet clones? You interviewed Claudius while I had to work with Ophelia. But I have to admit...a group of Japanese people who are obsessed with creating a society where the currency is Coca Cola...that's a whopper of a case!! Heck, they've already built a catapult and aligned it directly with a Coca Cola factory miles away!! Maybe we should have just stayed in Canada."  
  
"It was an opportunity of a lifetime. To work under one of the world's renowned psychologists...man, clinics will go to war to get us to work for them after we get back!! Cheer up, MacDaddy of Ryerson!! Hey, how about we play a bit of Magic? It's been a while with all the work that's been piled on top of us." Trevor walked over to the stereo system to insert an Apocalyptica CD.   
  
A grin formed on Maxwell's face. "After I check some e-mail, I'll bring out my American way deck and nuke your squirrels!!" He quickly logged on to the internet. "Interesting...an old friend of mine said that the internet was primarily used to find two things: Star Trek and pornography. But now, it appears that Digimon has made its way to the top."   
  
"Digimon? What are you talking about? Digimon was just a small time hobby for kids. It had its peaks but it wasn't a strong mainstream hobby like Magic." Maxwell clicked on a news hotlink. "According to this, real Digimon have been spotted in the West Shinjuku area...dude, that's pretty close to where we are!!"  
  
Trevor shuffled his deck and drew his hand. "Hmmmm...should we check it out and increase our possibilities of getting caught in the crossfire or should we stay here where it's just the two of us, Apocalyptica music at a loud volume, several cases of Coca Cola, a carton full of Magic cards and decks...gee, tough choice but I'm obviously going to go for the latter. I don't want to go back to hell again..."   
  
Maxwell rolled his eyes. "Here we go again...and you say that the catapult-obsessed Japanese need our help?!? Look who's talking!! You keep thinking that you went to hell when it was all some wacky dream where you thought we were giving medical testimonies based on the mental health of Hamlet to determine where he will go in the afterlife. Something happened, you got eternal damnation and boom!! You're awake."  
  
"Oh, yeah? I remember specifically that I got a scar in my right arm!! Here it is!!" This earned only a shake of the head from his friend. "You moron...when we visited England, we went to the Robot Wars arena. You decided to be an idiot and get a close look at Dead Metal...the rest is history."  
  
"Dude, if it was Dead Metal, my entire arm would have been cut off!! Besides, the only house robot I was interested in looking at was Sir Killalot-" He was interrupted by loud noises outside the window. They could see military vehicles soaring throughout the sky. The two men looked to see what was going on.   
  
"What in the...?" A few moments later, they heard explosions as the vehicles were destroyed by some unknown force. The two men jumped back, startled, as they saw many weird looking creatures fly by. And it looked like that they were all connected to something with great power as a large shadow made it harder to see outside the window. The window crashed as one of the small creatures broke through. It appeared to scan them for a moment. "Human bio-signatures confirmed. Initiate termination sequence..." It shot out grappling hooks to tie up the two men.   
  
Trevor gave a groan. "Ah, crap...this is one of those moments when running away a few seconds earlier would have been helpful. At least this is kind of a cool death...hey, if we go down to Hell and we see Hamlet there, you owe me a Coke!!" Maxwell rolled his eyes. "Please...for the love of God, shut up!!!"  
  
************   
  
'He's here...I can feel it. But what are these other creatures?' Antylamon had hidden herself out of sight from the army that was slowly going into another part of the city. She glanced back to make sure that the humans were staying out of sight as well. The lights had been switched off but nobody knew for sure whether this would actually affect the ability of the army outside to see inside the apartment. The rabbit Digimon checked her arm. It had healed back nicely with a bit of time.   
  
A creature had stopped. Aiming a small cannon, it fired to destroy an entire wall of the apartment to gain access as it was fairly big. Antylamon crouched by the sofa, ready to take it out if things got out of hand. "Digital anomaly confirmed. Initiating termination sequence." Tendrils from the creature shot out to grab Antylamon. She struggled to get free but the creature had a firm grip.  
  
"Oh, no!!! Antylamon!!" Suzie started to get up but her father quickly pulled her back down again. "Daddy, let me go!!" Antylamon's arms quickly formed into axes. She hacked at the tendrils but they still wouldn't budge. Slowly, the creature aimed its cannon at the rabbit Digimon. Suzie was able to wriggle out of her father's arms and rushed over to her friend.   
  
"Human bio-signature detected. Terminate..." The cannon turned slowly to aim at the little girl and fired. Antylamon felt a surge of strength flow through her. She ripped herself free of the tendrils and grabbed Suzie, using her back to shield her from the blast. The blast left her severely weakened, forcing her to go back to her rookie form. "Suzie, run!!!" The little girl didn't need to be told twice and grabbed Lopmon before moving. Another blast was fired from the cannon. The blast impact tossed Suzie and Lopmon through the large hole in the wall.   
  
Her older sister felt tears well up in her eyes. "Suzie!!!" The creature turned its attention back onto the humans. Janyu tackled the creature. "Kids, get your mother out of here!!! Don't look back!!!" When their father spoke in that type of tone, there was no arguing. The children carried their unconscious mother out of the apartment.  
  
The rabbit Digimon could see all sorts of those creatures soaring towards a general area as she and Suzie plummeted down to what appeared to be an inevitable meeting with death. But that didn't concern her...right now, Suzie and her family needed her help. "Don't worry!!! I've got you and I won't let you go!!" Lopmon stared at the girl in amazement. 'For a child so young, she has an incredibly brave heart...'   
  
A powerful glow erupted from the child. "Lopmon bio-merged to..." Suzie's essence transferred straight into the rookie Digimon. She grew larger, with pink fur replacing her usual brown. A piece of cloth similar to a jester's neck ring appeared around her neck. A pair of brown rings appeared on her ears. "...Kerpymon!!!"   
  
Suzie felt herself stop. She didn't know how...she just thought about stopping and she did. Panic gripped her as she noticed that she no longer had Lopmon in her arms. "Suzie!! Are you okay?" The girl gave a small sigh of relief. "Where did you go? I thought you were in my arms!"  
  
"I think that I became part of you and you became part of me. But we can worry about that later. We better go back up to the apartment. That thing is still up there!!" Suzie felt herself fly up. She couldn't help but give a squeal of delight since flying is an exhilirating experience. As soon as she got up, she saw that the creature had aimed its cannon at her father. "You're not being nice!!" Words sprang to mind as she felt herself form something in her right hand. "Lightning Spear!!" Moments later, the spear was stuck right in the creature's head. The creature dissipated into red liquid before vanishing completely.  
  
This attracted the attention of several more creatures. Before she knew it, about a dozen of them were aiming their cannons at her father. She held out her left hand. "Heaven's Judgement!!" A shockwave of holy energy spread out, destroying the creatures. But every time she destroyed them, more seemed to take their place.   
  
Finally, an energy blast had started to cause the roof to collapse. "Daddy!!" Kerpymon dived to cover Janyu as several slabs of rock fell upon her. There was hardly anything left to be seen except for a pile of rocks. Satisfied, the creatures rejoined the army. They didn't even notice the pile begin to move.  
  
Janyu burst free from underneath the rock. He quickly started to dig to find the rabbit who saved him. But all he found was his daughter, unconscious with a small brown rabbit in her arms. The rabbit opened her eyes for a moment. "Is Suzie okay?" She asked weakly. The man nodded and whispered a thank you. Lopmon drifted back to sleep, secure with the knowledge that the family was okay for now.   
  
The man gently picked up his daughter when he noticed something in her hand. Gently prying it open, he was more than startled to see a white and pink Digivice. 'This looks like the Digivice that Henry...oh no...' He hugged Suzie to his chest with small tears on his face. 'Oh, God, what have I done? This is all my fault...now Henry and Suzie are involved...'  
  
************  
  
'Great!! Now that they know they can't win, they switch to hit and run tactics!!' Omnimon was chasing Metalgarurumon when Blackwargreymon fired another Terra Destroyer. MagnaAngemon had attempted to subdue the dragon man Digimon but it did very little. Hawkmon and Armadillomon were knocked forced to retreat and recharge. And with only one other ultimate Digimon to try and slow them down, they won't be able to help their friends.  
  
Omnimon dodged the ball of energy and quickly checked on Metalgarurumon. He was more than a little surprised to see that another Digimon had appeared on the battle. "Dragon Helix!!" Metalgarurumon gave a howl in pain. The holy knight wasted no time and went down for the kill. "Omega Sword!!" (AN: Personal preference over Grey Sword) The last thing that Metalgarurumon saw was the tip of the sword's blade.   
  
"Terra Destroyer!!" Blackwargreymon was trying to take advantage of the situation. Suddenly, another Digimon popped out of nowhere and used his shield to deflect the attack. Omnimon aimed his right arm directly at the dragon man Digimon. "Garuru Cannon!!" A ball of energy headed straight towards Blackwargreymon. He barely had enough time to take the two halves of his shield from behind his back and place them together when the blast collided with him.   
  
He could see the shield was cracking. It can't survive another blast like that. "Royal..." Blackwargreymon looked behind him to see that the tip of a white and red lance was pointed straight at his back. It was glowing which usually meant that the attack was charged and ready to go. "Oh, sh-" "...Sabre!!!" And with that, Blackwargreymon dissipated into nothing but data. Gallantmon gave a sigh before going down to land.  
  
MagnaAngemon, Angewomon, Sakuyamon and Omnimon had already rejoined with the Digidestined. "So let me get this straight...you're Rika, right?" The shaman Digimon gave a sigh. "That's right, Davis. Now will you knock it off with the questions already?" The boy crossed his arms. 'Well, I guess this complicates Veemon's love life even more...I suppose that dating in mega form is out of the question.'  
  
Yolei snapped her fingers. "Hey!! We should give Imperialdramon a hand!! That viral imposter won't last a minute with all of us!!" Sakuyamon shook her head. "If he needs our help, he'll ask for it. After all, Veemon did allow Renamon to finish her battle with Gigadramon. I should extend the same courtesy to him..."  
  
Omnimon examined the other holy knight Digimon carefully. "A virus holy knight. Never thought I would see the day..." Gallantmon gave a tiny gulp. After all he was standing in front of Omnimon. The Omnimon! The one who saved the digital world and the real world from certain disaster when Diaboromon emerged! "Tell me...how is a life measured?"   
  
Before he knew it, the words just flowed naturally to him. "A life is measured by the lives it saves." (AN: I borrowed that quote from Wizards of the Coast) Omnimon gently tapped his left hand on Gallantmon's right shoulder. "Spoken like a true holy knight. You'll do just fine..."  
  
For a moment, Gallantmon remained silent. His girlfriend snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Hello? Earth to Takato, come in!" He blinked once before giving a small laugh of excitement. "I can't believe it!! Omnimon said I'll do just fine!! Omnimon!! The legendary holy knight from their world said that I'll do just fine!! This is...oh my God...this is so cool!!"   
  
Before he could keep on ranting about how cool his encounter was, Sakuyamon grabbed him by his cape and put his face close to her own. "As much as I love you, if you don't shut up now, I will have to hurt you." The holy knight Digimon gave another tiny gulp. "Um...yes, madam..."  
  
Terriermon gave a tiny giggle. "Oh, man!! They've only been a couple for a few minutes and he's already taking orders from her!! I guess that's love..." Henry didn't respond as he was still feeling guilty about what he had tried to do earlier. The vaccine Digimon gave a small sigh. "Come on, Henry. Momentai." He felt a gust of wind go past him. "What the...?"  
  
TK recognized the vehicles and aircraft soaring towards them. "I think those are military tanks and aircraft coming right at us!!" Missiles were fired from the vehicles and aircraft at the Digimon. "They must think they're the enemy!!" exclaimed Cody. Ken placed an arm in front of his face to block some of the dust. "Everyone scatter!!"  
  
The Digimon took off in different directions. "Remember, these are human beings who don't understand the entire situation. Don't destroy them!!" Right after Gallantmon issued his warning, an aircraft missile collided right into him and sent him flying into the park. He dug his hands into the dirt to slow himself down and landed in front of a park bench.   
  
Before he could get up, an old lady started to hit him as he had chased away the pigeons she was feeding. "Take it easy, lady!! I'm the good guy!" He got up and took off into the sky. A few moments later, another figure took off, following the holy knight from a good distance. Shadowgallantmon carefully aimed his lance at his counterpart and was about to fire when a missile nearly caught him off guard.   
  
By the time he had avoided being hit by the missile, Gallantmon had vanished from his sight. Shadowgallantmon gave a growl before flying off. 'Damn!! Now where did he go?' He only got a few hundred metres when he felt bullets bounce off his black armour. A helicopter was right behind him. "At least I can have a little fun..."  
  
The Digimon were weaving in and out of the fire storm that came from the military vehicles. Sakuyamon noticed out of the corner of her eye that soldiers were preparing to take the children out of the area. Before she could move, she heard explosions and screams. The military vehicles and personnel were being destroyed by a variety of...creatures that didn't appear to be Digimon.  
  
Ken was shaking uncontrollably as he saw the giant looming above him. "I-I-I've seen you b-before..." Sakuyamon gave a start when she saw Millenniumon. She quickly called up statistics. (AN: They can access their Digimon Analyzers by simply thinking about it) 'Millenniumon, mega level, synthetic virus Digimon. His Dimension Destroyer is a powerful attack which causes dimensions to implode upon themselves. But in this form, he needs twenty minutes to power up for the attack just for one dimension. However, his Temporal Eraser doesn't need that much powering up. With just one shot, he can erase a target from all of reality.'  
  
Gallantmon had rejoined the group and got a good look at the Digimon in front. He could feel the fear settling in his stomach. "T-that's Millenniumon...this is not good. But he seems to be a bit different." The synthetic Digimon narrowed his red eyes on his targets. "Sorry, I'm late. I hope that my friends-" He was cut off when the two Imperialdramons crashed to the ground. The vaccine one was on top and prepared to deliver the finishing blow. "Mega Crusher!!"  
  
"Oh, this is hardly fair." Millenniumon fired a small bit of energy at the virus Digimon. The viral Imperialdramon felt a new surge of strength as he morphed into Fighter Mode. "Ah, crap!!" The vaccine Imperialdramon felt himself get tossed by his viral counterpart. He attempted to fire an attack. "Positron Laser!!" The other Imperialdramon dodged the attack and flew in to deliver a series of punches and kicks.   
  
Omnimon flew down to stop Imperialdramon when several creatures blocked his way. Kari looked over at Henry. "Henry!! What do we do?" The boy didn't respond as he was lost in his own thoughts. Sakuyamon landed next to the girl. "Since Gatomon and Patamon were the only ones other than Paildramon to benefit from the Digicore, they have a fair amount of Azulongmon's energy. Get them to release it towards Imperialdramon...hopefully, that will be enough to even things up."   
  
The Digidestined child of Light focused her attention on Angewomon and MagnaAngemon. "You heard her!!" The two ultimates started to glow before releasing their energy towards the vaccine Imperialdramon. "Imperialdramon mode-changed to...Fighter Mode!!" Moments later, the ultimates changed back to their champion forms.  
  
Just as the viral Imperialdramon went in for another kick, something blocked the attack. "Payback time!!" The viral Imperialdramon took off with the other one in pursuit. He quickly turned around to fire. "Positron Laser!!" In this form, it was easier to manoeuvre in the air so the vaccine mega had no problem dodging the blast  
  
Armadillomon gave a small shiver as he looked at the amount of creatures that were before him. "Whatever these things are, they're giving me the willies!" A small drop of sweat rolled down Hawkmon's beak. "We should try and focus on digivolving to champion form before DNA digivolving to ultimate. Just think about that instead of thinking about how these things are scaring you." Armadillomon grunted. "Easy for you to say, Hawkmon."  
  
Millenniumon noticed the amounts of confused faces staring at his little army. "I suppose you're wondering what these things are. You can say that I've had an interesting encounter with some sort of red matter. It tried to swallow me but I was able to slow it down. In fact, after having momentary contact, I was able to see its entire history. Apparently, it was a program created by humans called D Reaper. Quite a piece of work. Its primary function was to delete anything which had overstepped its limits. It turns out that it had mutated thanks to the amount of data it obtained by deleting Digimon. Had it continued, it would have destroyed the digital world."  
  
He paused. "Since I was planning on doing that, it had to go but it was too unique just to be simply deleted. I settled on resetting it to the simple program it was before it mutated. By doing that, I accidentally gained some of its unique abilities...particularly the ability to create these creatures you see before you. Now if you excuse me, I have dimensions to destroy. If you wish, my friends here would be willing to entertain you." As he started concentrating, the creatures shot forward with their cannons ready. Gallantmon aimed his lance. "You guys better digivolve to ultimate!! We'll cover you!! Everyone else find shelter!!!"   
  
"Henry! We have to go!!" The boy ignored the pleas of his partner. "You go then. I just want to think...think about how all this chaos could have been averted if only I had listened..." Terriermon was about to shout again when he saw one of the creatures heading towards them.  
  
"Isn't this the moment where we run like mad?!? That thing is going to kill you if we don't hustle!!" Henry looked up. Whatever sparkle he had in his eyes was long gone. Instead, Terriermon saw only a deep sadness. "Let it kill me. I deserve to die after what I tried to make my friends do. They trusted me and I...I betrayed their trust. My sensei told me that treachery is the worst sin one can commit."  
  
The creature on his right closed in fast. "Fox Drive!!" In an instant, the creature morphed back into red liquid before disappearing. Sakuyamon hovered just above of her friend. "What do you think you're doing here?!? You should be with the others!! Are you trying to get yourself killed?!?"   
  
Before Terriermon could reply, more creatures started to swarm them. They fired energy shots towards Henry and Terriermon. Sakuyamon used her staff to deflect the shots. However, they were coming in faster than ever. Gallantmon quickly came to give her a hand. Henry looked at his two friends who were fighting with all their might to protect him. "You're fighting to protect me even after what I had done to you...why?" Gallantmon slashed another creature. "Because you're our friend. Sakuyamon, we better take this fight somewhere else." Both Digimon flew away, drawing the creatures towards them.  
  
"I'm still their friend? How can they forgive me this easily?" Terriermon hopped off his head. "Isn't it obvious? They understand the fact that you're human and that you have limits. You put too much pressure on yourself. Yeah, they rely on you to come up with plans but if it doesn't work, they simply say 'no problem' and wing it. They care about you, Henry. They know you would never do something without a good reason. And considering the circumstances, you had good reason to make some assumptions about what happened earlier. Get this through your skull...we're all one big family. Sort of."  
  
Some of Henry's guilt washed off as the boy started to believe that his friendship with Takato and Rika was not severely damaged. "I wasted so much time wallowing in self-pity that I totally forgot about everything else!! We need to find a way to help our friends!!" Terriermon crossed his tiny arms. "Well, it's not like I can turn into a walking fortress with giant bazookas or anything. What's the plan?"  
  
Henry was about to reply when his Digivice started beeping. On the monitor, part of a yellow face appeared along with part of a picture of the earth. Henry's eyes widened at this new revelation. "Simple...we go out there and kick some butt!!" He raised his Digivice. "Biomerge Activate!!"  
  
BIOMERGE DIGIVOLUTION.... "Terriermon bio-merged to..."  
  
As Henry's essence transferred into Terriermon, the vaccine Digimon had a massive growth spurt. Green armor formed as well as several missile launchers and machine guns. Two giant rocket launchers appeared on his shoulders with yellow faces popping in as the missiles. The dog-like head popped up to finish off the look.  
  
"...Megagargomon!!!"  
  
Henry looked at himself for a moment. He had completely changed into a giant, walking machine. 'Okay...I can do this...' He quickly found his two friends, engaged in battle with several creatures. Bits of his armor opened up, revealing the missile launchers. "Mega Barrage!!" Green missiles shot out, destroying the creatures. Sakuyamon and Gallantmon were more than surprised to see a giant green Digimon.   
  
The holy knight started to check out this new Digimon. "Megagargomon...that's Terriermon's mega form. It's Henry!!" Both megas flew towards their giant friend. "Man, talk about a whole new perspective!! You guys are kind of...never mind. Look, I'm really sorry about my whole suicidal mood and everything..." Sakuyamon just smiled. "Just glad you're back with us!"  
  
Silphymon and Shakkoumon were busy combating some of the other creatures when they noticed green flashes of light. Both ultimates turned to see a giant green Digimon. Davis gave a small whistle. "Godzilla...eat your heart out!" Ken was trying to calm himself down but he had never been so afraid in his entire life.   
  
Gallantmon blinked as a red Chinese character appeared on his lance. "What the...?" Sakuyamon also felt something on her right shoulder. A blue Chinese character was inscribed on it. Megagargomon looked down to see a green Chinese character appear on his chest. "What does this all mean?"  
  
Megagargomon quickly started to scan the images of the characters to his memory. "It's times like these that I'm thankful that my parents forced me to go to Chinese school and learn how to read these characters. Let's see here...the blue character stands for heaven. The red character stands for man and the green one...earth." Sakuyamon crossed her arms impatiently. "Your point?"  
  
"From what my dad told me, the Chinese believed that these are the three basic forces of nature. Maybe this is a sign. We may be able to combine our powers in one super shot or something!!" Gallantmon gave a shrug. "Let's give this a try." He hovered close to Megagargomon's head as did Sakuyamon.  
  
Terriermon got a look at what was going on outside. "Henry!! Check it out...Sakuyamon has one unbelievably nice ass!! I mean, if you focus in, you can see-" The boy rolled his eyes. "Shut up already, you pervert!!" All this got was a demented giggle from his partner. "I think I just found a fun new way of tormenting you..."  
  
The tamers found themselves focusing their energies. Soon, they were each glowing a different coloured aura with Gallantmon being red, Sakuyamon blue and Megagargomon green. They all slowly pulled back their right arms as the words for a new attack came to mind. "Triad Cyclone!!!!" (AN: Well, they did have a Trinity Burst in the fifth movie. And that was acheived only in ultimate form!)  
  
They all thrust their right arms forward, each firing a different coloured energy blast. They combined together to form a powerful cyclone which started sucking in several of the creatures. (AN: It was moving like a Beyblade, spinning madly but retaining control) This took Millenniumon by surprise. He quickly fired a temporal ray at the cyclone, slowing it down until it dissipated. "Annoying pests..." His red eyes glowed blue.  
  
"I don't know what he's doing but everyone split up!!" Sakuyamon and Gallantmon didn't need to be told twice. Millenniumon fired his beam. "Temporal Eraser!!" The beam was heading straight towards Gallantmon. He tried to fly away faster but slowly the beam inched closer to him. Then, out of nowhere, a beam of black energy collides with Millenniumon's beam, deflecting it to hit a building. It shimmered a bit before disappearing.  
  
The synthetic Digimon gave a start. "What just happened? The beam was defying every temporal and dimensional mechanic that existed!! The only way that it could possibly be deflected was if a beam with an equal amount of power hit it!!" He looked at his target again. Right above him was a dark figure with a blue cape flying freely in the wind. "If Gallantmon is to be destroyed, then I and I alone will be the one to deliver his death!!"  
  
  
Move over chapter 34...we have a new record for second longest chapter. I've divided what I want to happen between the remaining five chapters. Some quick news...yes there will be a sequel, which I can hopefully squeeze in during first year university. I was originally planning to have two but I decided just to combine things in one big forty chapter book. Yes, I'm insane. I've finally decided on a name for the second book. "Beyond The Other Side - Ascension". Keep an eye out for it after I wrap up this book. 


	36. Fourth Configuration, Section Six

Author's Notes: Only 5 more chapters until this book is finished!! By the time I finish this, it'll probably be right after school ends. I never thought I would get through my last year but here I am. Here's another song for the 'soundtrack'...a theme song for Shadowgallantmon. It's "I Stand Alone" by Godsmack and it's on "The Scorpion King" soundtrack. For those of you wondering, YTV is planning to bring Beyblade over to Vortex in June or July. It's some new Japanese anime show. Not the greatest show but I have to admit, when the kids let their blades rip, it looks pretty cool.   
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban, Toei Animation and whoever else owns it. I also don't own Wonderswan.  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 4.6  
  
"You can't go out there!! It's too dangerous with all that's been happening!!" Mrs. Matsuki ignored her husband's pleas as she grabbed her coat and prepared to exit the bakery. "I have to find Takato!! What if he's out there, alone and hurt? I'm going out there to find my baby and you're not going to stop-" She was cut off as they heard a rattling sound.  
  
They looked up as the sound appeared to be coming from the air ducts above them. A small voice was muttering. "I'll just follow my nose...I know I smelt something delicious over here!" The first thought to come to the couples' minds was that they had an alien in the air duct who wanted to eat them. They quickly decided to find some cover. As soon as they hid upstairs, they heard a small clang as something appeared to come through. "So you're hiding, eh? I like to play hide and seek...but when I find you, I'm going to enjoy eating you!!"  
  
Mrs. Matsuki could feel the colour being drained from her face as anxiety started to overwhelm her. She tried to control her breathing so that she won't give away her position. The woman took a tiny peek outside. "Hi!!!" A white creature with large ears popped up in front of her. She gave a loud scream before fainting. Mr. Matsuki felt his heart pounding like a jackhammer. Calumon gave a tiny pout. "Awwww!! No goodies here!"  
  
************  
  
Millenniumon examined the figure hovering above Gallantmon carefully. "Just what the hell are you? You don't appear to have any type of transdimensional power. But your beam was able to totally redirect mine. If a beam was equal in power, then there would only be a slight change. By the way my Temporal Eraser was diverted, your beam would have to have some sort of temporal variance in it. And only certain Digimon can have those types of powers."  
  
Shadowgallantmon rolled his eyes. "Oh, please. If you're thinking that only gods and holy beasts can have transdimensional powers, you are seriously mistaken. How do you account for Grandkuwagamon and his Dimension Scissors? And let's not forget the possibility of tapping into new powers every time you absorb a Digimon's data." Megagargomon quickly placed the pieces of the puzzle together. 'Shadowgallantmon must have tapped into some of Grandkuwagamon's powers when he uploaded his data. But why did it remain dormant for so long?'  
  
The dark knight continued to speak. "I had been aware of this transdimensional power for a few days but I did not know how to harness the power safely. But I met this fellow who introduced me to you. A dragon Digimon who claimed to serve this Sovereign. He was a pretty arrogant guy but he felt more talkative after I defeated him easily. After deleting the old chap, I went hunting for you and here I am."   
  
The synthetic Digimon understood what happened as soon as the dark knight mentioned the dragon. "So you were able to gain these powers by uploading the data of a Deva. In their ultimate forms, they have no idea of what they can unlock but when they are summoned forth to replace one of the four Guardians, their powers are revealed as they take their place as one of the four Holy Beasts."  
  
Shadowgallantmon narrowed his blue eyes. "So...are you supposed to be some sort of evil god or something? You don't look like that at all. I'm interested to see what will happen when I upload your data..." His holy counterpart gave a start. "You're not seriously thinking of trying to-" He never had time to finish as the dark knight had already begun his attack.  
  
Gallantmon quickly landed down to rejoin the others. "If my psychotic dark twin gets himself killed, I'll be biting the dust as well!!" Omnimon looked up to see Shadowgallantmon weaving in and out, firing shots from his lance at Millenniumon's eyes. "I'll make sure he doesn't do anything stupid. Silphymon, Shakkoumon...you better stay on guard in case either one of them tries something tricky." Both ultimate Digimon nodded.  
  
"How are we supposed to beat a giant like Millenniumon?!" Megagargomon was thinking about any references to Millenniumon in the Digimon products. "Even with our numbers, we can't take him directly. As I recall, the TV show showed Ken dreaming about a past moment in the digital world. In that clip, we saw Millenniumon falling in defeat and the Dark Spore's implantation in Ken." The other Digidestined kids gave stunned looks. Ken looked uncomfortable with the amount of attention he was receiving.   
  
"No wonder you were freaking out. That guy practically came from your nightmares!! Don't worry, Ken. We got your back." Davis gave a confident grin. The other boy managed a weak smile. Sakuyamon stepped forward. "It's going to be tough but we need you to look back into those memories. Maybe there's a weakness we can exploit. Maybe we can defeat Millenniumon the same way you did."  
  
"I'm sorry but my memory about those events are a bit fuzzy. If Wormmon were here, he could fill in a few spots but he has his hands full battling Imperialdramon." Ken closed his eyes and started to extract the memories of that fateful trip into the digital world. "It was a little after I got a weird e-mail. I reunited with Wormmon...and someone else. I think it was him who beat Millenniumon!!" Megagargomon started to think. "Yeah...I did see someone else there in that dream. He had short brown hair...and that was it."   
  
Ken crossed his arms. "He was some sort of powerful chosen person. I think that some powerful Digimon sent him to defeat Millenniumon. I don't remember which Digimon he had as his partner. And his name was Ryu...uh..." A sour look made its way to Sakuyamon's face. "Ryo Akiyama."  
  
************  
  
"Positron Laser!!" The viral Imperialdramon had been chasing his counterpart higher into the sky. The vaccine Imperialdramon rolled to the right to avoid getting hit. "That was a bit too close for comfort. Maybe the clouds can prove to be an effective hiding place..." He ducked underneath into the cloud. (AN: I'm thinking of a setting similar to the one where Blackwargreymon, Wargreymon and Imperialdramon all unleashed their attacks and knocked each other down to the ground.)  
  
The viral Imperialdramon considered following his target inside. 'But he may have some sort of a plan. He may know how to get around in the cloud. Once I go in, he may gain a tactical advantage...no matter. I'll flush him out.' He raised his right arm and fired short shots into the clouds. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed a small movement. "Positron Laser!!"  
  
There was a large explosion as the blast collided with the cloud. The viral Imperialdramon lowered his arm. "Mission complete. The target has been terminated." He heard a small click behind him. He slowly took a peek behind and found himself staring down the barrel of the vaccine Imperialdramon's blaster. It was already charged to the maximum. "Hooray for you."   
  
"Aw, son of a bit-" He never got the chance to finish his sentence as the Positron Laser ripped right through him. The vaccine Imperialdramon gave a huge sigh. "Thank goodness that's over. I better get back to the others. Who knows what's happening down there. I better find out what happened to Renamon." He quickly exited the battle area.  
  
************  
  
Megagargomon gave a start. "Ryo Akiyama!! That's the guy who disappeared about a year and a half ago!! I never would have thought that he went to your world for real!!" Ken had a confused look. "He came from your world? No wonder...he kind of looked a little out of place. He was the one who helped defeat Millenniumon. By the way they fought, they must have some sort of history. When the Dark Spores were flying right at him, I pushed him down and took the Spore for him."  
  
Kari looked over at the fuming shaman Digimon. "So, Rika...how exactly do you know about Ryo anyway?" Sakuyamon clenched her staff. "He beat me in the Digimon card game tournament two years ago. Back then, Wonderswan was one of the sponsors. They said that whoever won would be used as the protagonist in their Digimon video games. They also had some connections because they were able to get Ryo a tiny cameo in the show. But after six months, he disappeared. Wonderswan decided not to sponsor the next tournament, which I won because Ryo wasn't there..."  
  
Davis held up his hand. "Wait a second. Are you saying that if you won that tournament...then you would be the legendary chosen child who is nothing more than the protagonist in a video game...now I'm just confused!" Sakuyamon gave a sigh. "It's simple, you moron. If I won that tournament, then you would be begging the Digimon gods or something to send me to kick Millenniumon's ass."  
  
Yolei rolled her eyes. "If you won that tournament, then you would still remain as the cold fish you were when we first met." The mega Digimon shot an icy glare at the other girl. "Cold fish?!?" Gallantmon had to place his arms on his girlfriend's shoulders to make sure that she doesn't go on a rampage.   
  
"Well, that does pretty much describe...actually no. That doesn't describe her that well." Henry was surprised that Terriermon would say something nice about Rika. "How does it go again...let's see...ah, damn it!! There was a good song I downloaded off the Internet a while ago with someone singing about how someone else was a big, fat bitch!!" (AN: I don't own 'Kyle's Mom Is A Big Fat Bitch' or South Park. Trey Parker and Matt Stone do. That was probably one of the best parts in South Park...other than Kenny constantly dying and Rou Shambo)   
  
Terriermon got a quick look outside to see Millenniumon and Shadowgallantmon in battle with Omnimon trying to make sure things stay in check. "Aw, man!! If we were at least twice as big as this, we can play Rou Shambo with Millenniumon!!" Henry blinked in confusion. "Rou Shambo?"   
  
"Yeah!! I read about it on the Internet! It's where you kick a guy in the nuts really, really hard and assuming that guy survives, he can kick you in the nuts really, really hard! And you keep kicking each other in the nuts until you can't go anymore!!" As Terriermon continued ranting about Rou Shambo, Henry was shaking his head in disbelief. 'I must have done something very terrible in my past life to deserve this...'  
  
Cody raised his hands. "Everyone calm down. We're getting off topic. So how did Ryo defeat Millenniumon in the first place, Ken?" The other boy started concentrating on those memories. "He...he didn't kill him. I think Ryo used some sort of special program that was supposed to split Millenniumon into two separate entities or something."  
  
Henry quickly snapped back to reality after listening to Terriermon's rants. "Well, from the card game, Millenniumon can be formed by combining Kimeramon and Machinedramon. When Ryo used the program, he didn't really expect Millenniumon to have a countermeasure for that situation. All Ryo got was a storm of Dark Spores heading his way. I wonder why the program didn't work..." Gallantmon had a blank look on his face. "Why didn't Ryo kill Millenniumon? Wouldn't it be better if he just died?"   
  
Ken continued to speak. "I asked Ryo the same question during the battle. He said that if he killed Millenniumon, then he would rise again in another more powerful form. I wasn't sure what he was talking about." TK crossed his arms. "Maybe it's similar to what happened with Myotismon. When Angewomon killed him in ultimate form, he digivolved to Venommyotismon. But Millenniumon is already at mega. How can he digivolve again?"   
  
Davis looked up at Millenniumon and saw something that made his jaw drop in surprise. "I don't know what exactly is going to happen but I have a feeling that we're going to find out!! Look!!" They all looked up to see Shadowgallantmon right in Millenniumon's face. It appeared that he was trying to force the synthetic Digimon's mouth open. "You are indeed a powerful being. I believe that I should go down there and see what makes you tick!!!" As soon as he forced the mouth to open, he dived inside.  
  
"Whoa!! Now that's something you don't see everyday!" Megagargomon looked behind him to see Imperialdramon floating in the air. "Hey!! When did you get back? What happened to your viral twin?" The vaccine mega looked at the group with a small look of confusion. "I wasted that copy. Now would somebody fill me in on what's going on?"  
  
************  
  
"This is getting us nowhere! We've been walking around in circles!! When do we get to fight?!?" Ryo took out his Digivice and turned it into an energy whip. "We have to keep looking for a gateway, Cyberdramon. Try and keep your head together, alright?" He deactivated the whip before continuing on their route.   
  
Hidden in the shadows, a boy watched the two of them bicker with slight interest. "Cyborg Digimon. Specialty attack...Erase Claw. Weight...30 Gigas. Vaccine type. Ultimate level." He silently crept near the shadows to avoid detection. 'Perhaps you may be the way out of this wretched dimension. Then I can finally settle my scores with Daemon, Taichi and Zero...'  
  
************  
  
"Just what is that psychotic Digimon doing?!? He's going to get himself killed!!!" Omnimon stood there as Millenniumon started showing signs of just how much of a pain Shadowgallantmon was in his stomach. Gallantmon felt a small hiss as it felt like acid was eating on his feet. "Great. Now I'm going to die from the stomach acids of a Digimon the size of four Godzillas...and I'm not even in the digestive system!!"  
  
Slowly, Millenniumon's stomach started to expand, with bits of dark energy crackling around it. Megagargomon's eyes widened in horror. "Aw, man!! He's gonna blow!!" The others started to back away as the effects of Shadowgallantmon's internal assault continued to be displayed on Millenniumon. Then without warning, he burst into data, leaving only the dark knight with his lance still raised high from his Demon Disaster attack.   
  
Before the tamers could realize what happened, several Dark Spores came out of nowhere and flew right at the group. Megagargomon prepared to fire missiles to neutralize the spores when most of them just disappeared without a trace. The others just collided into buildings and dissipated. Sensor data began to appear inside the machine Digimon's head. "According to these readings...the spores are traveling to different dimensions! When Millenniumon...um...exploded, he created several interdimensional pockets which the spores used to get to other worlds..."  
  
************  
  
Ebonwumon's heads snapped up. "The barriers between dimensions...Millenniumon's been destroyed!! And...oh, this ain't good. His spores are flying to the human and digital worlds in all of our realms. We got some cleaning up to do. Can't let any nasty being get their hands on this." Azulongmon has a worried look on his face. "What if they already have? You are aware that great evil still exists in my world. What if those dark forces already possess the spore?"  
  
The turtle Digimon spoke again. "Then, there's little we can do. You know that we cannot make direct contact with humans who are unaware of the digital world as it would create chaos and confusion. The Digital Revolution must take place before we can establish a dialogue with them. That means only the chosen children can stop his plans before he sets them in motion. Now let's move it!!"   
  
************  
  
Shadowgallantmon was waiting for the data to come to him but he found that there was nothing. "Now I'm just plain pissed...I go inside the big guy's stomach and use my most powerful attack for what? Jack squat!!!" He looked over at the other Digimon. "At least I get some compensation. Four megas, two ultimates and my holy counterpart who possesses the essence to unlocking my true power...yes, this should be more than sufficient." Before Omnimon could blink, Shadowgallantmon was dashing to make an attack on his counterpart. The vaccine holy knight immediately chased after the dark knight but found that it was no use. 'How did he gain this much speed?'   
  
"Heads up!!" The group became startled at Omnimon's warning. Gallantmon looked up to see a black and blue blur speeding towards him. He was about to raise his shield when Sakuyamon's staff blocked his dark twin's black lance just inches above his head. She whirled around to swing her staff at the dark knight. He quickly did a partial backflip and landed on his hands before stretching them out to make an aerial retreat.  
  
Silphymon, Shakkoumon and Omnimon regrouped with their friends. "Just what do you think you are doing?!?" yelled Silphymon. Black energy surrounded the dark knight. "Considering the fact that I was unable to upload the data of the Digimon who just took the dirt nap, I have settled for all of you!!"   
  
Gallantmon stared at his dark twin in disbelief. "You want to fight us now? Are you totally serious about taking on five megas and two ultimates?" The dark knight gave a chuckle. "I suppose I should be flattered as to how you're all paying attention to little old me...but what about those guys behind you?"  
  
They all turned around to see several hundred of the creatures that Millenniumon had brought in earlier. Imperialdramon had a shocked look. "No way...I thought these guys would have been destroyed along with Millenniumon!! Something's not adding up here..." Ken could feel it in his bones. "Now that Shadowgallantmon has killed Millenniumon...something bad is just around the corner..."  
  
"You guys take those wacky creatures!! Leave Shadowgallantmon to us..." Shakkoumon was hesitant to leave his comrades with the dark knight. "Are you sure about this?" Megagargomon, Sakuyamon and Gallantmon took defensive stances. "The three of us have a little score to settle with him..."  
  
************  
  
'My God...it's so beautiful. If only you could have seen this too, Hiroki.' Oikawa was at his computer just looking over at some of the imagery from the digital world. Before he could continue admiring the scenery, a little black blur whizzed right by his left ear and smashed into a wall. The man looked to see what was there. A small black spore was in the little hole. A ghastly smile came to Oikawa's lips as inspiration struck him.  
  
************  
  
"I don't like this. Master Daemon should be conserving his energy," muttered Marinedevimon. Ladydevimon gave a yawn. "Oh, stop your ranting. It's making me sick. The master is only going out to get some fresh air as well as check on how well his powers are recovering."  
  
They all heard the sound of footsteps heading towards the entrance. Skullsatamon took a small defensive stance but relaxed as he saw Daemon come into view. At that moment, the skeleton Digimon sensed a change in his master's mood. He seemed to be in a fairly good mood. And that doesn't happen very often. "Master? What happened?" Daemon held up a dark spore in his left hand. "I struck gold..."  
  
  
I got some information about Frontier as well as the Hybrid system. Basically, you take a human, add in a spirit (Fire, Water, Thunder, Wood, Wind, Ice, Darkness, Light, Steel, Earth) and voila! Anyways, I hope you enjoyed Neo's cameo appearance. That reminds me...should I stick with his original partner in the comic (Skullsatamon) or should I use someone else? Give me a few suggestions when you review!! 


	37. Fourth Configuration, Section Seven

Author's Notes: It's official...I've completed 90 % of the book!! Anyways, I've finally gotten the courage to write another somewhat mushy segment between Sakuyamon and Gallantmon. I hope I didn't make anybody OOC too much.   
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban, Toei Animation and whoever else owns it. I also don't own Rou Shambo or V-Tamer.  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 4.7  
  
"The odds of you winning have slightly increased. Big whoop...you can't possibly win against three mega Digimon all by yourself," stated Megagargomon. Shadowgallantmon gave a small chuckle. "But I can't lose either because in the process of killing me, you'll be killing your friend as well." The vaccine mega clenched his fists. 'Damn it!! I hate it when he's right!!'  
  
Gallantmon narrowed his golden eyes. "I'm already aware of the risks but I would still be willing to go along with this. At least this way, we can be secure in the knowledge that you no longer present a threat." The dark knight rolled his eyes. "Good grief...don't get started on your holy knight mumbo jumbo...now then. Let's see who I should start with first." His eyes rested upon Megagargomon. "I guess it's going to be the jolly green giant..."  
  
Megagargomon gave a small growl. "If you think you're going to beat me, then you're seriously mistaken!!" Before he could finish talking, he saw the dark knight flying towards him at a fast speed. With a thunderous blow, the machine Digimon was sent flying back. "Man...how can he have so much power?" Henry heard Terriermon's voice pop out of nowhere. "It's obvious. The guy has been taking a combination of vitamins and steroids. If we want to stop him, we gotta play Rou Shambo!!" He quickly got up and took aim at Shadowgallantmon. "Gargo Missile!!"  
  
"Let's get going, Sakuyamon!! Henry needs our help!!" Gallantmon was about to take off into the air when he noticed that the shaman Digimon was just standing there, deep in thought. The holy knight immediately grew worried. "Hey...are you okay? What's on your mind anyway?"   
  
"It would have been helpful if we figured out how your connection to each other works. Then we could disconnect the two of you before sending him to the afterlife," muttered Sakuyamon. Gallantmon gave a soft sigh. "Unfortunately, that's not the case. If we don't finish him here, right in this moment...if he somehow got away and started killing innocent people across the world, I could never live with myself. As a holy knight, I must place the lives of others above my own."  
  
"Yeah, I know. You know, this is one of the parts of being a hero that I hate. With all that emotional sap about how there's no other way and the lovers going in for one final moment or something...kind of makes you want to puke, huh?" The shaman Digimon gave a dry laugh. The holy knight detected his girlfriend's attempt at dry humour in this grim situation. "It's weird...just when we find each other, fate decides to throw a monkey wrench and force us apart. I don't know if I can deal with losing another person I cared a lot about. First...my dad..." A part of her wanted to cry all of this pain out.   
  
'So that's why she was so cold. She must have lost her father...and she wasn't sure how to deal with it so she bottled up her emotions...' Gallantmon gently placed a hand on her shoulder. "I don't know exactly what happened in the past but bottling up your emotions and becoming a hollow warrior won't solve anything. If you did that, you would be shutting out your heart. And a warrior who fights without a heart is doomed to fight meaningless battles."  
  
Sakuyamon glanced over at the holy knight behind her. "Geez, when did you become so philosophical, goggle head?" Gallantmon gave a laugh. "I guess it came naturally when I became a holy knight and all...Sakuyamon, I want you to promise me that no matter what happens that you will always fight with your heart."  
  
"But I don't understand about this whole fighting with the heart works. Fighting with your emotions...fighting passionately doesn't-" The holy knight placed a gentle finger on her lips to silence her. "When one fights with a heart and soul, that person displays the type of character they are. When I saw you fight earlier, you displayed the character of a heartless soldier but I know that you're better than that. If you fight with your heart, you'll show everyone that you're a beautiful and graceful warrior with a bad attitude. And that'll make me feel deliriously happy knowing that you love me."  
  
The shaman Digimon remained silent for a few moments before giving a reply to his previous inquiry. "Alright...I promise that I'll always fight with my heart." A small sly smile came to her lips as she loosely wrapped her arms around the holy knight's neck. "Does being romantic also come naturally as a holy knight?" Gallantmon was at a loss for words in response to his girlfriend's teasing. "Uh...I...um...ah..."  
  
"Aw, man!! The guy's practically a superfly!! This is madness..." Megagargomon focused his aim before unleashing another attack. "Mega Barrage!!" Shadowgallantmon started flying towards them and weaved in and out of the missiles. (AN: Kind of like when Wing Gundam manoeuvred through those shots in the opening theme) Acting purely on martial arts instincts, the machine Digimon raised an arm to try and block Shadowgallantmon. The next thing he knew, he was sailing in the air after the dark knight had counterattacked. He frantically flailed his arms to gain some control before crashing inches before Gallantmon and Sakuyamon.   
  
An annoyed look made its way to the vaccine mega's face. "Hey, loverbirds...do you mind giving me a hand here?!?" The holy knight knelt down by his friend. "You can sit this one out for now, Henry. We can take it from here." With that said, he was flying off towards battle beside Sakuyamon.  
  
Henry wanted to just get a bit of time to stop the ringing in his head when out of the blue, Terriermon started talking. "Oh, my...did you see the way they were looking at each other, Henry? It was majorly deep, man. That's a lot of love coming from those two. I swear, if they're not going at it like rabbits by the time-" The boy cut his partner off. "Terriermon, has it ever occurred to you that NOBODY CARES?!?!?"  
  
As the two megas flew closer to their target, they each charged up their attacks. Shadowgallantmon simply hovered in the air, waiting for them. "Royal Sabre!!" "Fox Drive!!" The two energy blasts came straight towards the dark knight but he simply folded his arms inward and swung them out, deflecting the attacks. "Time to play..."  
  
************  
  
'Damn it!! I should have kept my eyes on them more carefully!! Perhaps I should have sent out my partners to do this. They would have been more suitable...' The boy's gaze rested upon the endless dark waters before him. He had tried to follow the other boy and his Digimon to a portal out of this place but after they went over a ridge, they simply disappeared. 'What is the significance of this place? It has some characteristics of the digital world but yet it is not. It's too dark to be the digital world.'  
  
"See? I told you that guy was following us! There's something about him I don't like...we should take him out." Ryo could feel that inside Cyberdramon somewhere, Monodramon was crowing like there was no tomorrow. The other boy standing near the water had white hair and blue eyes. He wore a white t-shirt and black pants with bandages covering his arms along with a pair of watches, one for each wrist. A small hankerchief was wrapped around his neck, similar to Ryo's.  
  
"If I had wanted to, I could have ordered my Digimon to ambush you." Ryo and Cyberdramon gave a start when they heard the eerie tone of the other boy. Cyberdramon gave a growl. "We've never seen you here before...who are you? How did you get here in the first place?"  
  
"I could ask the same thing but why waste each other's time with meaningless questions? The more pressing matter is how to get out. I've checked various regions of this plane and I can confirm that there are no gateways of escape." Ryo gave a groan, knowing that the plan had just gone out the window. "I guess we better get back to the digital world, Cyberdramon. The Sovereigns aren't going to be very happy about this development."  
  
The other boy's eyes widened. "You mean you can return to your original dimension?!? How is this possible?!?" Ryo took out his Digivice and pressed a button. A beam shot out of it, forming a Digi Gnome. "That little guy is kind of an anchor. He can create a return vortex but it's kind of unstable. Only about two or three beings can go through before it shuts down."  
  
As the vortex started to open bit by bit, the boy could feel freedom, something that he did not have for a long time. And there was no way that other boy is going through with his Digimon. "Ogremon!! Devimon!!" The two champion Digimon appeared out of nowhere, startling Ryo and Cyberdramon. "What?! He has two partners?!?"  
  
The boy concentrated before punching his fists together. The screens on his watches were shining with light. "DNA Digivolve!!!" Ryo gave a start. 'Those weren't watches!! Those are Digivices!!' He prepared to grab a card as Devimon and Ogremon fused to become Skullsatamon. Cyberdramon gave a grin. "Okay, big boy. Show me what you got!"  
  
"Just what do you think you're doing?!?" The other boy gave a dark smile. "I've been stuck here in this hellhole for too long. I want out and your portal is the only escape route available! Skullsatamon, attack!!" Ryo whipped out a card. "Digi Modify!! Power Activate!!" Cyberdramon glowed briefly as the card's effect strengthened him. "Erase Claw!!" Skullsatamon leapt out of the way before Cyberdramon's Erase Claw hit him.   
  
Ryo quickly scanned his opponent's Digimon. "This guy is an ultimate level, virus type. Specialty attack is Nail Bone. Since he's a demon, he may be..." The boy took out his pack which contained the powerful Goliath cards. (AN: I mentioned this before WAY back in chapter 23 that I will refer to King Device as Goliath King, etc.) "Let's hope this works! Digi Modify!! Goliath Bishop Activate!!" Cyberdramon felt a small surge of holy power. "Nail Bone!!" Cyberdramon dodged the attack and delivered a powerful punch. Skullsatamon staggered back, dizzy.  
  
"Rise to your maximum level, Skullsatamon!!" The boy placed his wrists in a position where both Digivices were touching each other. Skullsatamon felt a new power emerging from within. "Skullsatamon digivolved to..." His size shrunk as dark, grey skin replaced the orange and black. One golden eye appeared at the top of his head. In his palms were two more golden eyes. Red wings appeared on the back. The staff he had as Skullsatamon disappeared as well. "...Ghoulmon!!"  
  
Statistics popped out from Ryo's Digivice. "Ghoulmon, mega Digimon, virus type. Specialty attacks are Death Arrow and Explosion Eye!!" (AN: Original Japanese name is Deathmon) Cyberdramon growled as he fired another Erase Claw. Ghoulmon placed his palms outward. "Explosion Eye!!" The eyeballs fired from the palms and cut through the attack. Cyberdramon tried to get out of the way but the eyeballs exploded in front of him.   
  
"Cyberdramon!!" Ryo searched for another card to help his partner. The other boy took this opportunity to make a run for the portal. "Ghoulmon, forget about them!! We have to escape now!!" The mega Digimon formed another pair of eyeballs before following his partner through the vortex. Before Ryo and Cyberdramon knew it, the portal closed as soon as the other boy and his Digimon got through. "Crap..."  
  
The vortex opened in another area of the digital world in Zhuqiaomon's realm. A moment later, a white haired boy and his Digimon tumbled out. He looked around at his new surroundings. Before him, several large clocks were ticking in front of him. "Neo...we've escaped," stated Ghoulmon in a monotone. Neo Saiba gave a dark grin. "Daemon, Taichi, Zero...watch yourselves. I am coming for you..."  
  
************  
  
Somewhere else in the digital world, the four Digimon Sovereigns had reunited with their status on the Dark Spore situation. "I've been able to confirm that all of the Spores have dissipated in both worlds in my realm," stated Baihumon. Ebonwumon gave a small sigh of relief. "Good. I've got Lord MagnaAngemon and Taichi working on the problem in their respective areas. How about you, Azulongmon?"  
  
The dragon Digimon had a grave look in his eyes. "Most of the spores had disintegrated but at least two of them fell into dark hands. I can feel it. And there are a few spores unaccounted for. Who knows where they could have gone..." Ebonwumon's heads both gave frowns. "I think I know where they might have went."  
  
Zhuqiaomon looked at the vaccine mega. "What are you talking about? There are only four realms in which the unaccounted spores could have landed." The turtle Digimon's expression did not change. "It is not as easy as that, my friend. Our four dimensions comprise one plane of existence only."   
  
"What do you mean one plane of existence?" asked Baihumon. Ebonwumon paused. "I'm not entirely sure how to explain this properly but...for each event, there are several courses of action. Our reality is determined by the decisions taken. However, since there are other possibilities that exist for that event, those possibilities will exist as alternate quantum planes of existence. Like for instance...the Digital Revolution may have already occurred in one plane while a human versus Digimon war may have broken out in another. There may be planes of existence where Digimon far superior to us exist..."  
  
Azulongmon narrowed his eyes. "And you're saying that the Dark Spores can cross the barriers between quantum planes? Why not Millenniumon or us for that matter?" Ebonwumon had a small grim look on one face. "Actually, Millenniumon can cross the barriers between quantum planes but only in one of his more advanced forms. The energy required to open a gateway between quantum planes is tenfold that of the energy needed to cross realms. Our energy levels are nowhere near that...but enough of the spores. We should concentrate on-"   
  
The turtle Digimon stopped speaking as he felt a wind blow on the leaves of his tree. "I do believe that Ryo has opened the return vortex...but someone else is coming through. Someone familiar..." "Does this person pose a threat?" asked the viral phoenix. Ebonwumon shook both of his heads. "At this moment, Zhuqiaomon, he is not a concern. But after the current crisis has been dealt with, we should confront him. There are some unresolved issues that must be faced."  
  
************  
  
Shakkoumon fired another Justice Beam at the creatures. "This is nuts!! What did Millenniumon do?!? Buy these guys by the thousands?!?" Omnimon deflected an energy attack before countering with his Garuru Cannon. "How many of these are there? I want to try and help our friends against the dark knight."  
  
"They should be fine. There's strength in numbers and Shadowgallantmon's outnumbered three to one," stated Silphymon. "True...but he has proven to be a skillful warrior as well as a cunning adversary. In addition, I believe that he may be more than they can handle because I sensing that a change has occurred. A change which has benefitted him and spells trouble for us..." Imperialdramon stopped talking as soon as he noticed that for some reason, the creatures had stopped their attack.  
  
"Ken!! Snap out of this! You're really starting to freak me out, man!!" Davis shook Ken but it didn't do too much good. He was shivering uncontrollably, murmuring something. The other Digidestined couldn't make out what he was saying. Cody crossed his arms. "I thought that his trauma would subside once Millenniumon was destroyed. I wonder why he is still acting this way."  
  
'Just how is Shadowgallantmon able to attack so fiercely without breaking a sweat?' Megagargomon slowly sat up as he saw the dark knight engaged in battle with Gallantmon and Sakuyamon. He kept furiously attacking with his lance and his shield. (AN: Kind of like Goku fighting two of Dr. Wheeler's henchmen) Gallantmon and Sakuyamon were unable to make any decent counterattack as the dark knight left little opportunity to do so.  
  
Readings started popping up on Henry's sensors. "Wait a minute...everytime he goes in to attack, there's a spike in the space-time continuum! It's like he's placing himself in a state of hypertime!! He's just fighting at normal speed but in our time, it's like he's a speed demon!" Terriermon's voice popped out of nowhere. "Talk about cheating!! Let's get him!!"  
  
"Hold on a second. Maybe we can catch him off guard or something...I just hope this works!" Megagargomon willed himself to fire a few missiles from the cannons around his right wrist but rather than flying straight towards Shadowgallantmon, the missiles plowed their way underneath the ground. "Delayed explosion...impressive," stated Terriermon.  
  
Gallantmon and Sakuyamon had to flip backwards to try and regroup their efforts. Shadowgallantmon started running at them, with his lance prepared to strike. "Ready or not, here I come!!" Just as he was about to reach them, the ground from underneath exploded, forcing him to jump up and land in an escape roll. The dark knight's opponents took advantage of this lapse in concentration. Gallantmon charged towards his dark twin but Shadowgallantmon dodged out of the way and spun to make a counterattack. (AN: Think Wolverine VS Sabretooth, X-Men Evolution opening theme) "Obsidian Lance!!"   
  
Before he could strike, someone came up from behind to make a sneak attack. He raised his shield to block the attack. Sakuyamon quickly dropped to make a foot sweep. The dark knight swore as he tried to make an aerial recovery but Sakuyamon had already sent him flying back with a strong roundhouse kick. "Mega Barrage!!" Missiles were flying towards the dark knight. He quickly concentrated to activate his newfound power as he rolled backwards to make a landing. Although it worked, some of the missiles detonated in front of his face, dealing a considerable amount of damage. Megagargomon was up and well rested. "I'm back and fully charged!!"   
  
Gallantmon was having some difficulty in getting up. "Alright...we got him on the defensive. Now it's time to finish this!" Before the trio could attack, they heard shouts of warning coming from their friends. They looked up to see all of the mysterious creatures that the Digidestined had been fighting gathering up. Slowly, they changed into a red liquid form.  
  
"What in the...?" The red liquid started to shape itself into an oddly shaped diamond. It started to solidify to form a blue crystal with streaks of red. Then a dark mist started to form inside the crystal. It grew larger until it occupied the centre. Other than having two heads with a pair of red eyes each, there was nothing else. He was about three quarters the size of Millenniumon. Then the being spoke in a hauntingly familiar voice. "Hi kiddies!! Did you miss me?!?" A maniacal laugh echoed throughout the air.  
  
Ken's eyes widened in horror. "It's...h-him. He c-c-came b-back...Millenniumon's back..." The other Digidestined had equally shocked looks on their faces. Even Shadowgallantmon felt uneasy standing in front of this new being. Sakuyamon looked up statistics on Millenniumon's new form before speaking. "I guess the big jackpot question today would be...how do you destroy a God?"  
  
  
You knew he was going to be coming the second I mentioned Millenniumon. I'm not totally sure about how this whole Moon=Millenniumon name works so I may have to come up with a similar but more practical name. Anyways, I'm officially declaring that the V-Tamer comic will be entering the crossover frenzy in the sequel. I'm only setting some things up here with Neo and all. Another thing...I will not put Ranma in this. This is a Digimon story, Peter, so tough luck. But with the spores in different quantum planes, there's room for a few spinoff series. If anyone has a great idea for a story and wants to put it up, go for it. Just make sure you credit me or something. As for Gallantmon Crimson Mode, I already planned things out in the end. I can't squeeze him in here but he will get feature time in the sequel. Besides, there's someone else I have in mind. And Ken is not bio-merging with anything, alright? Alex, I'll send you a message later or something with my e-mail address, alright? I think that's everything...I'll have to slow down for a bit until the end of June when exams are over. Later! 


	38. Fourth Configuration, Section Eight

Author's Notes: I've made a decision...I just can't use Moon=Millenniumon's original Japanese name. Since I don't really understand the Moon= part, I've come up with an alternate name. I've thought up of another theme song to go along with the story. "Here To Stay" by Korn to represent the arrival of the dark God.  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban, Toei Animation and whoever else owns it.  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 4.8  
  
Yamaki re-examined the gigantic machine looming in front of him. "So this is the best your men could come up with? This isn't what I exactly had in mind. Once those nuisances bio-emerge...there's practically no way to predict the effects of military weapons on those creatures." The head engineer, Matohiro Ziosho, noticed the skeptical look in the other man's eyes.   
  
"This is no ordinary piece of weaponry, Mr. Yamaki. With the amount of heat it's packing along with the Yuggoth program, this baby will pretty much solve your Digimon infestation problem." Yamaki gave a snort. "And how exactly would this solve my Digimon infestation problem? Juggernaut wasn't able to do much except doom mankind. I've got to find a solution to correct my error."  
  
A small smile crept up to Matohiro's lips. "And you're looking at it, sir. Let me explain how we developed it...after you told us about our assignment, we started researching the history of artificial intelligence since that is the root of the problem. We weren't having much success until someone stumbled on to an old project which was experimenting with artificial intelligence in the form of monsters from the imaginations and stories of children. And as you know, Digimon became especially popular to children."  
  
He paused for a moment. "We weren't really able to get too much information on who created it. Only a few nicknames like Tao and Dolphin. The data collected in the project was the key to creating what you see before you. You see...we found some schematics for something called an ark. Similar to Noah's Ark, it carried instructions so that the data could behave in a certain manner. We then started to think of ways to convert it into a weapon. It took us a while to understand the mechanics but we finally built an ark of our own. Everything appeared to be going well when we ran into the dilemma of transporting it here. No problem...we'll just have to make it come to us. From the Digimon computer game, we took the programming of various wild Digimon and modified a few algorithms here and there before installing it in the ark. Basically, the only thing it could think of was how to escape the digital world. Once it arrived, we directed it here. To be honest, sir, when you ripped open the portal, it made our jobs a bit easier."  
  
Yamaki shot a dangerous look at the other man. "Why didn't you program it to scan for weaknesses in the digital world? Or better yet, why didn't you program it to self-destruct? At least you would have been able to take out a large portion of the digital world if what you're saying is true about the weaponry." Matohiro gave a small yawn.   
  
"You wanted the backup project to get here as soon as possible. We just gave the ark the basics before transporting it here. In fact, I've finished rigging a self-destruct device. All you need to do is enter your authorization code. Not only will the ark self-destruct, the EM surge that it will send out should permanently disrupt any anomalous digital pattern."  
  
************  
  
"Lunarmillenniumon, mega level, evil God Digimon. Virus type. In this advanced form, he can destroy a dimension using his revamped Dimension Destroyer attack in five minutes! His other attack is called Death Crystal in which he fires a crystal and when it hits his enemy, it encases the victim inside a crystal before shattering the nervous system!! He also has a barrier around him that nullifies energy attacks...some sort of dimensional rift that totally dissipates them completely before they hit. Physical attacks won't work too well as his shell is made out of something that's at least a hundred times stronger than chrome digizoid alloy!! Last, he has a short range telekinetic field, only about a hundred metres. He realized that his aim won't be as sharp when his enemies get close so with this field, he simply pushes them back before firing away..." As Henry finished reading out those statistics, Terriermon's voice popped up again. "Five megas and two ultimates against a God...we're all gonna die..." The boy looked up at the figure looming above them. "For once, you may be right."  
  
Shadowgallantmon narrowed his blue eyes. "No wonder I wasn't able to upload the data. It was preparing to recompile into this form...now, I can find out what will happen when I upload the data of a God." He was about to fly over when a pair of giant hands caught him and squeezed hard enough to stop him momentarily. The dark knight looked straight into Megagargomon's face. "Oh no, you don't!! You've already caused enough trouble when you killed Millenniumon and allowed him to digivolve into this form!!"  
  
The newly evolved Digimon allowed himself to soak in the feeling of absolute power. "Ahhhh...I must say, I owe you a debt of gratitude, Shadowgallantmon. I'll have to think of an appropriate reward..." He noticed a particular figure with a familiar energy reading. The amount of dark energy stored within was incredible...it may even be possible to advance to his final form. Lunarmillenniumon hovered closer to his target before using his telekinesis to lift Ken. "Well, well...what do we have here?"  
  
Imperialdramon sprang into action as well as Omnimon. As soon as they got close, they were repelled by Lunarmillenniumon's telekinetic field. "W-What d-do you want f-from me?" asked the boy in a raspy voice. The dark God gave a chuckle. "Don't worry, Ichijoji...this will only last for a moment." Ken screamed as he felt the back of his neck burning.   
  
Yolei gave a gasp. "What's happening to Ken?!? What is that...crystal thing doing to him?!?" Megagargomon's scanners zoomed in to see what was going on. "From what I can tell, Lunarmillenniumon is somehow extracting the original Dark Spore that infected Ken all those years ago!! With the amount of energy it's radiating, it would be a safe bet that Lunarmillenniumon has plans for it!!"  
  
"Release me at once, you overgrown green tin can!!" The dark knight struggled even harder to get out. Megagargomon tried to hold on but Shadowgallantmon burst free and flew away. As he flew towards the dark God, he powered up his lance. "Try this on for size!!!" A large amount of dark energy was released but as soon as it hit the crystal, it dissipated into nothing. Lunarmillenniumon gave a small annoyed growl. "You know it's rude to interrupt someone when they're in the middle of something. I'll be with you in a moment. In the meantime, you can amuse yourself with these..."  
  
As soon as he finished his sentence, an army of large creatures came out of nowhere. They felt similar to the other creatures that they had been fighting before but these guys appeared to be a whole lot stronger than their previous opponents. "I swear...this guy must know a place with a major bargain to get all of these oafs!" grumbled Shakkoumon. Imperialdramon was about to make another attempt to save Ken but found himself surrounded by several creatures. "I don't have time for this!!" He quickly charged up his weapon before firing.  
  
A small black sphere emerged from the back of Ken's neck. It was radiating a red aura. "...and there we go!! See? I told you that it would be over before you know it!! Whoa...you have quite a bit of dark energy, don't you? This should be quite useful to me in the near future. As a reward, I've decided to give you a relaxing vacation on the beach!"   
  
As Lunarmillenniumon spoke, a vortex appeared from behind him. As it widened, Kari recognized the disconfigurations in the colour of the other plane. Then it hit her. "It's the Dark Ocean!!" The other Digidestined gave simultaneous gasps. "The only catch is that this is a one way trip only!! Enjoy!!!" Lunarmillenniumon tossed Ken inside the vortex without a second thought.  
  
"Ken!!!!" Imperialdramon slashed his way through the hordes of creatures and flew towards the vortex as fast as he could. Before he could reach it, several creatures came up from behind to restrain him. The vortex then closed right in front of Imperialdramon's eyes. "AAAARRRRGGGHHH!!!!" The mega Digimon gave a howl of pure rage before bursting free from his captors. "Positron Laser!!!" He fired at the dark God but the energy blast simply disappeared before hitting the target.   
  
"This is it...if he could get Ken that easily, then any one of us could be next!! We're in over our heads, trying to fight this guy," muttered Cody. Davis clenched his fists. "Even with all this power...he's still a Digimon and he's probably still vulnerable to the...stuff that messes up Digimon!! Like that thing that happened just before Shadowgallantmon wasted Gallantmon!!"   
  
Lunarmillenniumon turned his attention to the dark knight, who was in the midst of destroying his army. "Sorry to keep you waiting. What is it that you wanted to talk to me about that was so urgent?" Shadowgallantmon gave a sadistic grin underneath his helmet. "I intend to carry out a little experiment...what would happen if I uploaded the data of a so called God? I couldn't think of a good hypothesis so let's just get down to the actual experiment, shall we?"   
  
The dark knight launched himself forward to attack the other mega Digimon. Lunarmillenniumon activated his telekinetic field but Shadowgallantmon kept on going. "Did you forget about my unique abilities already? That will be your downfall!! Obsidian Lance!!!" He shot his right arm forward and hit the crystal. 'No way...not even a dent!!'  
  
Before he could try again, Lunarmillenniumon had already compensated for the additional space time flux and picked him up. "A noble effort but as you can see...well, now. You may not realize it but I too have a scientific curiosity. How about this...what would happen if an object smashed into the ground at the speed of sound?"  
  
The dark God then proceeded to whip Shadowgallantmon into the ground. "Aaauuugghh!!!" Lunarmillenniumon heard a scream but it came from somewhere else. He found the source without a problem. It was a holy knight...a white and red counterpart. "What is this?" He picked up Shadowgallantmon and slammed him into the ground once more. Gallantmon collapsed to the ground in agony. "Takato!!" His friends tried to move towards him but too many creatures were blocking their way.  
  
"Very curious indeed. Apparently, you two have a connection." Lunarmillenniumon lifted Shadowgallantmon and hovered closer to the other fallen Digimon. Within moments, he had two mega Digimon in front of him, unable to move because of a combination of pain and Lunarmillenniumon's telekinetic strength. The dark God dropped Gallantmon to the ground and observed no reaction from Shadowgallantmon. As he picked up the holy knight, he probed their memories. "I see your connection is only one way. Now it makes sense."   
  
Gallantmon could barely lift his head to stare at the dark God in front of them. "Just what do...y-you mean by that...anyway?" Lunarmillenniumon gave a dark chuckle. "I suppose that I can allow a final request and explain things. In all sentient beings, a dark side exists within, containing all the thoughts, actions and thinking patterns that would be questionable by personal ethics established throughout one's life. Once in a while, that dark side needs to be expressed either as a thought or something else. For example...your friends. Rika has the Digimon Queen personality in which the desire to dominate expressed itself. Henry wanted to have someone suffer and then be killed because of the mistaken belief that she killed another. You generally don't express your dark side. You were almost always happy..."  
  
"I think that's the last of them for now!! Let's save Gallantmon before it's too late!!" Sakuyamon started to fly towards the dark God when several dozen more creatures appeared in front of her. Megagargomon gave a sigh as he armed his cannons. "You were saying?" Sakuyamon gave a growl. "Outta my way!!!"  
  
"You've never had to face any big problems and ethical challenges. Rika had to live her life without understanding her father while Henry had to practice discipline everyday in order to refrain himself from using his martial arts skills to gain superiority over others. But with you...life was pretty great. Loving parents, a good home, a romantic interest with the one called Jerri...if you did express your dark side in any manner, it wasn't enough. It wanted to be let out...it wanted to dominate. And when Blackwargrowlmon digivolved after absorbing that last control spire, the dark side of your essence went to him. This is where this whole connection comes in...the dark side is somewhat independent of the essence in whole. But since it originated from the essence, a part of it remained with the collective. Any pain experienced by it affected the whole but any pain experienced by the whole and the dark side feels nothing because of its independence."   
  
Lunarmillenniumon tried to think of an analogy. "It works similarly to the Spirit Link, something I heard about in another dimension. Suppose we have a wizard. He summons some creature. As the creature came from his lifeforce in the first place, any damage dealt to the creature is felt by the wizard. But since the creature's own lifeforce is independent from that of the wizard, if the wizard gets hurt, the creature won't feel it at all. In a technical sense, Shadowgallantmon is a part of you, holy knight."  
  
Gallantmon looked at the dark knight. "I don't believe this!! How can someone so cruel and evil be a part of me?!?" Lunarmillenniumon wasn't paying attention as he was trying to remember something. "Ah, yes!! In all of this excitement, I forgot to set the countdown to destroy this dimension! You know what? I think I'll let you two talk about this little revelation while I go make preparations!"   
  
"Dammit!!!" Sakuyamon had to weave in and out before attacking. "This is getting us nowhere!! How can we shut these guys off all at once?" She noticed a brilliant flash of light in Lunarmillenniumon's direction and a figure flying towards her in freefall motion. Megagargomon quickly caught the knight in his hands. "What the...?" The knight's armour was flashing between white and black with the other garments flashing between red and blue. His blank eyes were flashing between yellow and blue.   
  
Sakuyamon knelt down by her fallen comrade. "Do you have any idea what this means?" The vaccine mega shook his head. "I wish I knew. For all we know, there could be an epic battle going on within to see who gains full control of Takato's essence. The question is...who's going to win?"  
  
************  
  
"Let's do this..." Matohiro gave a nod as he punched in the final launch sequence. Slowly, the powerful weapon came to life. As it rose into the air, Yamaki clutched the remote that would activate the detonation device. 'Grani...mythical war horse. You shall be the key to eradicating the Digimon threat once and for all.'  
  
************  
  
'I...I'm alive...' That was the first thought to pop up in Ken Ichijoji's head when he started to regain consciousness. He could have sworn he was hearing distorted voices. 'What were those whispers?' The boy slowly opened his eyes to see a grey sky. He looked around and became horrified when he recognized the place.   
  
'This is where it all happened...after I became sick with that thing hitting my neck, I came here. I changed my Digivice and became the Digimon Emperor. I guess this is my final punishment. To spend eternity in my own nightmare...' Ken heard a pair of footsteps come from behind him. He turned around to face two dark figures. One of them slowly came into view. "Ken, it's been a while," said the other boy with a twinkle in his blue eyes. Ken gave a gasp. "Ryo!!!"  
  
  
Exams are going to suck up whatever time I have for at least a week so don't expect anything big to come out of me for a bit. I hope you aren't too disappointed with my new name for Moon=Millenniumon. Just an idea of what's cooking in my head for possible future Digimon stories outside this one...there's a Digimon card website that can be found at Megchan's Digimon Sekai with images of Japanese Digimon cards. When you get to the card index, check out the very last booster list on the far lower right. The very last card had a rather interesting picture. I think it's some sort of program card for holy knights or something. It's probably the only Tamers/Adventure crossover picture in existence but one never knows! 


	39. Fourth Configuration, Section Nine

Author's Notes: Here we go with the second last chapter of the book. I'm so excited!! I never thought that I would be able to finish the first book!! Lots of stuff to cram in here before the big finale! By the time this gets out, I'll already be freaking out about university next year. Anyways, I'm pretty sure the Digimon Sekai is at www.megchan.com/digimon and that is where you'll find the link to the Digimon card photo index.   
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban, Toei Animation and whoever else owns it.  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 4.9  
  
"Man...you've grown so much, Ken. The last time I saw you, your hair was a lot shorter!!" The next thing Ryo knew, Ken's hands were clutching his shoulders. "Ryo?!? Is that really you?!? How did you get here?!? I have so many questions...what do you know about me? How did you beat Millenniumon in the first place? Can you help us stop him?"  
  
The legendary tamer gave a fond smile. "Ken, slow down!! If we can find a gateway back to where you came from then maybe we can make a difference in your battle." Their conversation was interrupted when Cyberdramon leaned in close to Ken, as if examining him. He gave a growl. "I don't believe this...Millenniumon has been able to digivolve into Lunarmillenniumon."  
  
"What? How do you know this, Cyberdramon? Can you be sure?" The ultimate Digimon turned to his partner before giving a small snarl. "I'm sure of it!! When you fuse with Millenniumon, then you can determine whether or not he has digivolved! I can sense that aura...it's all over Ken. We've also got another problem. Do you remember where the spore struck Ken?" Ryo turned the other boy around to take a look and stiffened when he saw the mark.  
  
"Yeah...Lunarmillenniumon did something to me. The back of my neck felt like it was on fire or something." The other boy did not answer due to his mind being filled with a horrifying possibility. 'The amount of dark energy created by Ken increased over the years and powered up the spore. From these markings, it was at the point where the energy that the spore had collected could be used to allow Lunarmillenniumon to transform to his final form...Zeedmillenniumon.'  
  
************  
  
"It used to be so simple...just me in some big red void and Guilmon. But now, everything's all jumbled." Takato looked around for some sort of sign but had no luck. His essence has taken the form of a knight with white armour and a red tunic, covering the front and back parts of the vertical midsection (AN: What I mean is the part between the arms and legs. Also, it may be easier if you think about the knights in the Monty Python and the Holy Grail movie). The hazard sign was in white on the red tunic.  
  
"That's because I'm here as well." The boy froze as he heard a chilling voice. Much like his own but dark and dangerous. 'That sounds almost like-' He didn't have time to finish the thought as he became the recipient of a powerful blow. When he looked up again, he saw an unconscious Guilmon behind some sort of force field...and himself.  
  
His other self had the same features except his armour was black and his tunic was blue. "What's going on?!?" demanded the boy. Dark Takato gave a sadistic grin. "Don't you get it? Lunarmillenniumon placed us here to settle this out. Whoever emerges from this will be the one who gets Guilmon's power. I would say by the digital data and power merging along with the two halves of the essence...his power has probably tripled. Quadrupled even. It's just one big jackpot prize!"  
  
Takato quickly got up. "Don't you dare talk about Guilmon like he's a prize to be won!! He's my best friend and I won't let you corrupt him!!" His doppelganger just snorted. "Don't give me all of this crap. He's just a way to gain power. That's what being a tamer really is. Once you become a tamer, the world is right there, ready to be plucked. All you gotta do is reach out. Don't be a fool. Submit to the darkness and unleash chaos upon the world!!" Takato started to charge towards his dark half. "Never!!!!"  
  
************  
  
"Dammit...of all the times you have to blitz out on us. You have a real lousy sense of timing, gogglehead," muttered Sakuyamon as she kept her eye out for enemies. Megagargomon and the others were trying to figure out a way to halt the countdown to doomsday initiated by Lunarmillenniumon. Anf if that wasn't hard enough, try doing that while battling an army.  
  
"We've got to find a way to get Ken out of wherever he went!!" Imperialdramon dodged another attack before firing again. Shakkoumon deflected another attack. "Unfortunately, his rescue will have to take a back seat on our agenda! Our top priority is stopping Lunarmillenniumon...which is nearly impossible."  
  
The other Digimon attacked another one of the creatures viciously. "Easy for you to say!! Your partners aren't trapped in another dimension!!!" Before Shakkoumon could make a reply, he noticed a red object flying towards their position. "What in the digital world is that?" As it came closer, it fired a strange blue beam that seemed to destroy several units of Lunarmillenniumon's army.   
  
"What's this? A new toy? It looks like that it was created by the humans to stop me...very interesting." As soon as the object got close, the dark God activated his telekinetic field. "How rude...it vaporized a part of my army just like that!! This is obviously no ordinary piece of machinery."   
  
************  
  
"So far, so good. We're getting readings and pictures of all the Digimon involved in the battle. This could be useful in the future...no way!! Sir, we got a problem! Grani has been immobilized!! I can't get any response from it!!!" Yamaki came up from behind. "Is it still possible to detonate the unit?"   
  
Matohiro kept typing as he performed a quick diagnostic. "Some sort of external force is stopping Grani. Everything else seems to be fine. The force that's holding Grani doesn't seem to be affected by the weapons." Yamaki punched in his authorization code for detonation. "One way or another, this ends now!!!"  
  
************  
  
"Another problem? Geez...the list keeps growing and growing," grumbled Baihumon. Ebonwumon gave the other holy beast a glare. "This is serious, Baihumon. Millenniumon has evolved to the form where he can cross quantum planes. After he has destroyed all of our realms, he'll go to another quantum plane to destroy it. He has to be stopped now before other innocent beings die from his destructive rampage."  
  
"How can we stop him? The only person that could have had a chance of stopping him is trapped in the Dark Ocean. Even if he did make it out and confronted Millenniumon, there's no guarantee that he could do anything," stated Zhuqiaomon. Azulongmon began to speak. "Still, we have to get him out of the Dark Ocean. At least that way, there's some hope."  
  
The vaccine mega Digimon decided that this was the time to discuss the other possibility. "Now with Millenniumon in his new form, opening a gateway to the Dark Ocean has gotten a lot harder. Normally, a select few chosen children can open a gateway to the Dark Ocean by tapping into their negative energy but that has become too risky for them. The only other option is for us to open a gateway by combining all of our strengths together. It would be powerful enough for Ryo's Digivice to detect. However, we can only hold the gate open for a few minutes. After that, we will have to retreat to our own realms to regenerate."   
  
Azulongmon was about to protest but Ebonwumon cut him off. "Yes, I know that this will mean leaving your chosen in Zhuqiaomon's realm and allowing the Undead Lord to rise again but this is a desperate time. There are other Digidestined children in your realm that will be able to hold him off, perhaps even defeat him. Plus, you still have six of the special chosen children in Japan." The dragon gave a small sigh. "I sincerely hope that will be enough."  
  
************  
  
"What must I do to get you to see the truth? Man, you are one seriously messed up kid. So optimistic...having lots of faith in every single damn thing and all." Dark Takato tossed his twin for a strong shoulder throw. The other boy landed on his back. "Why are you so obsessed about getting me to see your point of view? It's because you want Gallantmon out of the picture and Shadowgallantmon taking control permanently!!"  
  
"I'm just trying to give you a new sense of perception about the world and life itself. What I want is irrelevant." Takato got up before speaking. "Irrelevant, my butt. This whole situation is revolving around what you want. And the point is that you want everything to be-" He was cut off as a wave of dizziness hit him hard.  
  
"What is going on out there? Am I getting pounded by those wacky creatures in Lunarmillenniumon's army?" Dark Takato was also feeling the effects of the dizziness. "You're asking me?!? How the hell am I supposed to know? But I think it's safe to assume that in a few moments, Lunarmillenniumon is going to vaporize the world into space dust or something. And there's nothing that can be done to stop him."   
  
"Don't talk like that!! He may be a dark God but he's still a Digimon and each Digimon has some sort of weakness! I just have to figure out what it is!!" Takato tried to think but his head was still spinning from the effects of the mysterious shockwave. "Well, if you are going to do something then you need to be back in reality. If you allow me to take control, then I should be able to give you a plan that you would never have thought of considering," stated Dark Takato.  
  
The other boy gave a laugh. "I may not be the sharpest guy around but I'm smart enough to keep you from winning!! I won't let you drag me down into a world where ethics and morals have no home!!" Dark Takato crossed his arms. "Fine then. We'll both die right here...and then Kai, mom, dad, Guilmon, Rika, Jerri...the whole gang...and let's not forget billions of people around the world and billions of Digimon in the digital world!" (AN: I think the song "Drag You Down" by Finger Eleven would suit this little scene)  
  
Takato froze as he heard the words come out from his dark doppleganger's mouth. Dark Takato continued to speak. "You know this is why being a hero really sucks. Heroes are always placed in paradoxal situations like this. Suppose we have a half decent villain who gives you a choice of which hostage to save...do you save someone you care about or do you save twenty people you don't know? Whatever choice the hero makes, there will be consequences and repercussions. That's opportunity cost, the cost of taking one action over another."  
  
He paused for a moment. "Let's talk about your current predicament. As a holy knight, you stand to fight against the forces of darkness until you die. At the same time, you have taken an oath to preserve life on earth and the digital world. Right now, those two rules are contradicting each other. If you continue to fight me, then the whole world is doomed. If you decide to save the world along with your loved ones, you must surrender to me. The choice is yours but I would suggest that you surrender. Saving the world is a higher priority than being true to yourself."  
  
Takato started speaking again. "The fact is that you represent a part of me that I was afraid to face. You came alive when Arukenimon used that control spire to create the dark creature from the back of my head. I didn't want to accept you because I was afraid that I would turn out to be like you. But now I realize that the choices that I make determines the type of person I will become. And now my choice is this...I'm not going to keep fighting. But rather than submitting to you, I embrace you as part of me." His dark counterpart raised an eyebrow. "Say what?"  
  
"I know that thinking like a holy knight can only get me so far in battles. Sometimes, one must be deceitful, sneaky, cunning and willing to do what it takes to win. That's what I've been missing...a balance between personal ethics and chaotic tendencies. One day, I will have to solely rely on you to win a battle." Dark Takato stayed silent. Takato gave a shrug. "But not today, I'm afraid. In fact...we really should be getting back to reality."  
  
As the boy spoke those words, his dark counterpart started floating towards him. He was trying to get free but something bound him together. "You're going to have to realize the fact that you can never dominate me unless I allow it. And that's never going to happen. This is my domain and in here, what I say goes!!" Dark Takato vanished into thin air and the red tunic on Takato changed from red to blue.   
  
He was about to walk over to Guilmon when he heard the voice of his dark counterpart. "So you've accepted the fact that you can't get rid of me. Eventually, you will be worn down by constant fighting, both physically and emotionally. Your thoughts of despair will invigorate me...and I will rise again. Mark my words. The voices of darkness shall never be silenced..."  
  
Takato gently started to shake Guilmon. The rookie Digimon got up groggily. "What's going on, Takatomon? I feel a bit funny." The boy narrowed his eyes. "It must have been that weird thing that caused my headache. We'll have to find out when we get back. You up to it?" Guilmon nodded enthusiastically.   
  
************  
  
"Silphymon, talk to me!! Just what happened out there?!?" Right in front of Yolei's eyes, the ultimate Digimon appeared to be fading in and out. "It was weird...one minute, we were all fighting those agents. Then they freeze up and disappear. A split second later, I feel like my insides are tearing me apart!"  
  
"The same thing must be happening to me too...this all started when I saw that red object come out of the sky. I think it short circuited and sent out some big pulse to disrupt our digital patterns," murmured Shakkoumon. TK took out his D terminal. "It's probably disrupting our D terminals too. I can't get this to work!"  
  
"What about Imperialdramon, Omnimon and the tamers? How did this pulse affect them? Did Lunarmillenniumon get affected too?" asked Kari. Davis took a look at the gigantic figure before them. "I can't tell but it seems like the guy's still ready to blow up the world!! This majorly bites!!!"   
  
Cody saw their two allies preparing for another attack. "Imperialdramon and Omnimon don't seem to be suffering any of the symptoms that Silphymon and Shakkoumon are experiencing. Or at least it doesn't look like it...perhaps the symptoms are less severe in their case since they're mega Digimon. I'm not sure about Henry, Rika and Takato though but they should be fine now that they're mega Digimon as well." Yolei gave a small gasp when she looked up. "Actually, you should scratch that statement about Rika being fine...Lunarmillenniumon has got her!!" Hovering in front of the dark God was a small yellow and black figure.   
  
A wave of bitterness swept over Henry. "I should have fought harder to stop the enemy skirmish!! If it wasn't...she didn't have to help us!! Thanks to me, she was positioned in a way that the pulse would send her flying straight into Lunarmillenniumon's clutches! I could have stopped them myself so that she wouldn't have to enter the battle!!" Terriermon gave a groan. "Speak for yourself...they were pounding us like crazy..."  
  
Omnimon flew up towards the dark God. "Release her at once, you fiend!!!" At this moment, if Lunarmillenniumon had visible eyebrows, they would probably be twitching with pure disgust. "That has got to be one of the lamest heroic lines I've ever heard...even for a holy knight. It's just as corny as 'you won't get away with this!' Good grief...Death Crystal!!" He fired his attack which hit the holy knight square in the chest. The momentum sent him plowing straight into Imperialdramon before the both of them crashed to the ground.  
  
************  
  
"Hey...Ryo? Are you in there? What's wrong?" Ken waved quickly in front of the other boy's face. The legendary tamer blinked. "Sorry...I was just thinking of the time when you pushed me down to prevent the Dark Spore from infecting me. You got infected instead...I wish I could have done something to help you through your recovery, Ken. I should have been there to guide you out of the darkness when you became the Digimon Emperor!!"   
  
"There are better things to do than listen to you berate yourself, Ryo!!" snapped Cyberdramon. Before the ultimate vaccine Digimon could continue, a flash of light erupted several metres behind them. It was blinking in and out as a vortex started to form. Ken had to shield his eyes. "What is that?"   
  
Ryo narrowed his blue eyes. "It looks like a dimensional portal or something! Judging by the way it's fluctuating, I would assume that one person can cross through safely!! Any more and they'll be trapped in dimensional limbo...I think." Cyberdramon straightened himself. "The portal leads straight to the battle!! I can sense Lunarmillenniumon's power!!"  
  
A look of hope made its way to Ken's face. "Now's your opportunity to make a difference in the battle, Ryo!!" The other boy looked at his old companion. "I don't think that-" Before he could complete his sentence, Ken was right behind him. "There's no time!! Get going!!" He gave a mighty shove, forcing the legendary tamer towards the portal.  
  
************  
  
"You have always been a dominating character throughout your entire life. Isn't this ironic that you no longer possess that feeling of dominance? Must be scary...knowing that you have to submit to a far superior being. Oh, well. That fear will soon be removed when this world is destroyed in about two minutes." Sakuyamon chose to remain silent in front of the dark God.   
  
"Mega Barrage!!" Several green missiles flew past Sakuyamon to hit Lunarmillenniumon. "Oh, please." Megagargomon soon found himself ensnared by Lunarmillenniumon's telekinetic field. The dark God simply tossed him aside somewhere else. "Your struggle is pointless. You can't stop me."  
  
Down below, Gallantmon had awakened with his internal conflict resolved for the moment. He shook off his headache before checking out the battle scene. All of the creatures in Lunarmillenniumon's army had vanished without a trace. 'At least that's one less thing to worry about.'  
  
That thought of relief quickly vanished when he saw Sakuyamon trapped in Lunarmillenniumon's telekinetic field. 'Rika!! I gotta help her!!' Before he could go rushing in, he paused for a moment. 'But rushing in head first won't help. I need some sort of a sneaky plan...wait a second! I don't usually use sneaky plans!! Must be that dark side or something. But sneaky plans are useless when it comes to dealing with Gods!!'  
  
A loud mechanical noise interrupted his thoughts. It appeared to be originating sixty metres away. Gallantmon quickly moved to the source of the sound and found a red object shaped like a dragon. Smoke and sparks were coming out of it. The machine made several more mechanical noises (AN: like that smart bomb in Voyager) that would be nothing but random noise to normal people but the holy knight could feel its plea for help.   
  
"Who are you? What are you?" Time seemed to slow down for Gallantmon as he listened to the story told by the machine before him. "I am called Grani. I originally came from the digital world and emerged here to be used as a weapon to stop the chaos that is occurring now. They placed an electromagnetic pulse to trigger when my self detonation sequence is activated. However that was not enough to bring down the giant crystal entity. My sacrifice was for nothing. Help me, please. I do not wish for my existence to end like this."  
  
The holy knight wasn't sure of what to do. There were many questions that had to be answered concerning this being from the digital world. Is this even a Digimon? "Takatomon!! We have to help Grani!" The boy gave a sympathetic look. "I wish I could help. But I don't know what to do."  
  
"You have to believe you can do this, Takatomon. We have all sorts of weird powers,.from Shadowgallantmon to the crazy powers of that scary demon we carry. Maybe there's another power that we can use to save Grani," stated Guilmon. Takato gave a small sigh. "Well, since I'm a holy knight and all, maybe I got super heavenly powers or something. Hopefully Grani can help us in our fight. Here goes nothing..."  
  
Gallantmon morphed his lance into a hand before placing it on the red machine. At first, nothing happened. Then a surge of energy went straight through the holy knight to the red machine. The electronic damage seemed to repair itself as Grani could feel itself being reborn. As soon as the light show was over, the machine felt renewed beyond belief. Gallantmon slowly backed away. "I think that did the trick. Rise again and...um...ah, nuts. I was never good at this type of heroic line stuff," grumbled the holy knight.  
  
Grani made more noises that translated into speech when Gallantmon heard it. "I am in your debt. In return for giving me another chance, I offer you my services. I have been armed with several weapons.In addition, I can also enhance the abilities of one Digimon by acting as their steed. My original programmers did not know about this as it was inadvertently programmed into my systems." Takato approached the machine again. "So you can make me stronger?"  
  
"There is little time. We must rejoin the battle...if it is still going on." Gallantmon nodded as he hopped on the red glider. As soon as he did, it started to lift off into the air. Gallantmon could feel the changes flowing through him. The machine's database was completely open so he could examine the changes for himself. 'Grani wasn't kidding about weaponry. He has the Yuggoth Blaster and something called the Dragon Driver. Those two attacks are becoming twice as powerful than my own because of our shared connection! The amount of aerial maneuverability and speed is at least-' "WHOA!!!" He never got a chance to finish his thought as Grani took off like a bullet.   
  
"Next time you could have warned me!! Now let's go save Sakuyamon and rejoin the others!" Gallantmon lost the feeling of riding the glider. He felt like he was the machine doing the actual flying. "Let's see if we can make a difference. Arm Yuggoth Blaster and fire at Lunarmillenniumon!!"   
  
Lunarmillenniumon had been too preoccupied with probing Sakuyamon that he didn't even notice the attack coming. Although there wasn't any damage, the attack disrupted his telekinetic field, releasing Sakuyamon. The next thing either of them knew, Gallantmon had swooped in, scooped Sakuyamon into his arms and blasted off. The dark God attempted to use his field but had no luck thanks to the attack.  
  
"Are you alright?" The way he looked at her with concern in those lovable golden eyes of his made her feel like hugging him to death. Normally, she would have been disgusted by playing the role of the damsel in distress who had to be rescued by a knight in shining armour. But considering that this is a guy who she loves plus the fact that in every person's life comes a moment when for a brief period, they are more than what they are...she didn't mind being saved this time. In fact, the way he would look now with his cape flapping in the wind and a powerful glider as his transportation...he would look magnificent. Sakuyamon quickly regained her composure before anwering his question. "Yeah...thanks for the save."  
  
"No problem...I guess that's all that you're gonna say?" Sakuyamon gave her boyfriend a strange look. "What else would you want me to say? Don't tell me you want me to swoon and scream 'My Hero!!' at the top of my lungs! All you goggleheads are the same...your male egos won't be satisfied until you hit a major point with your girlfriend, isn't that right?" The holy knight started to sputter uncontrollably.  
  
She hopped out of his arms but held on tight with the speed they were going at. "What about you? You were fighting Shadowgallantmon inside...but now you seem to be normal and you found a new weapon in the process." Gallantmon looked relieved that the subject was changed. "I'll have to explain later. We should regroup with the others and go in for one last ditch effort against Lunarmillenniumon."  
  
They heard a loud groan and saw Megagargomon with a dizzy look in his eyes. Gallantmon quickly directed Grani to fly in that direction. "Hey...how are you holding up?" The vaccine Digimon shook his head to wave off the dizziness. "After being tossed around by a God for the last little bit...Takato, Rika! How...? Never mind, I'm just glad you're alright!"  
  
The trio approached the Digidestined but didn't get much of a reponse as they were too preoccupied. Before Sakuyamon could demand what was going on, they saw it for themselves. Omnimon was being encased in crystal as a result of the Death Crystal attack. His sword was lying a few metres away. Imperialdramon was trying to crack the crystal and free his comrade but his blows were having no effect.   
  
"Omnimon, you've got to pull through! If you die, we're finished!!" The formation had reached the holy knight's neck. "Wrong. We're only finished if we believe it. As long as there are those who would stand and fight against monstrosities forged by the powers of darkness, there is always hope. Even with the odds against us-"  
  
He was cut off as the crystal covered his head. A moment later, the formation disappeared, leaving only remnants of his data. "H-he's gone..." whispered Kari in a choked tone. The data started to go towards the fallen sword. "He may be gone but he will not be forgotten. I won't allow his sacrifice to go in vain!!" Imperialdramon grabbed the glowing Omega Sword before raising it high.   
  
"Imperialdramon mode-changed to..." His black armour was replaced by a white colour. Three golden toes formed on the end of each foot. A white helmet with golden spikes at the top formed while white shoulder pads with more golden spikes appeared. The wings on his back changed to a grey colour. The blue skin on his arms and tail still remained. In fact, the Digimon did not change shape by much. He looked similar to his fighter mode appearance (except for colour of course) but there was an aura radiating, that similar to a holy knight. "...Paladin Mode!!!"  
  
"That's Imperialdramon's most powerful form," stated Sakuyamon with awe in her voice. Megagargomon chose to remain silent. Gallantmon narrowed his golden eyes. "He's strong...I can feel it. I just hope that he can tip the battle in our favour." They watched as the Omega Sword changed shape as a result of the new user.  
  
'How nice...they've all gathered in one spot so I can finish them off rather easily...' Lunarmillenniumon gathered some extra strength and began to channel his attack. "Death Crystal!!!" Soon several energy attacks were flying towards the group. Megagargomon's sensors beeped loudly. He quickly turned around and saw the attacks coming towards them with great speed. "Incoming!!!"  
  
  
FINALLY!!! I knew this was going to be long but...whew! A combination of writer's block, FanFiction.Net being down and laziness is why I took longer than usual getting chapter 39 out. The next one's the big finale!! Until next time!! 


	40. Fourth Configuration, Section Ten

Author's Notes: I'm not going to say anything until after the story is done. Enjoy!!  
  
Disclaimers: Digimon belongs to Fox, Saban, Toei Animation and whoever else owns it.  
  
Beyond The Other Side - V 4.0  
  
Ryo struggled to regain his footing as he stumbled towards the somewhat unstable portal but an arm shot out to grab him. He looked back and gave a small sigh of relief as he saw Cyberdramon. Ken had an upset look. "Why did you do that for?!? If he doesn't oppose Lunarmillenniumon then everything will be gone!!"   
  
The ultimate Digimon released his partner as soon as he brought him back. "If I'm going to stand a chance, then I'm going to need my partner with me-" Ryo gave a start as Cyberdramon made a dash for the portal with the promise of battle on the other side. He whipped out his Digivice. A few seconds later, Cyberdramon was restrained by Ryo's whip.   
  
Ken recognized the design of the Digivice. "Wait a minute!! That Digivice...that's the same one that Rika, Henry and Takato have!" Ryo looked at his friend. "So your friends are Digimon Tamers too? Then maybe I can still help you. In my right pocket, there's a small set of five cards. Once you get them, you can cross over and give them to your friends. They should provide a major power boost!"   
  
The other boy hesitated before reaching into his friend's pocket. Sure enough, there were five cards, each looking like a different Chess piece. "But what about you? How are we going to get you out of here?" Ryo gave a sad smile. "Don't worry about me now, buddy. You've got to get back to your friends. Besides, I've been able to survive in the digital world so I'll be fine. By the way...tell that wildcat Rika I said hi!!" Ken forced himself to look away from his friend before jumping through the vortex.  
  
************  
  
By the time Megagargomon had shouted his warning, the attacks were closing in on their targets. The vaccine Digimon raised his arms to shield himself but heard several swishing noises. When he looked again, Imperialdramon was in front, using his sword to deflect the attacks. (AN: Kind of like when Jade deflected the bullets in the second last episode of the third season of Spawn) 'Talk about speed!! It must be due to a combination of Omnimon and Imperialdramon's aerial combat abilities!'  
  
"Everyone...listen up. I'm going to try and stabilize that dimensional rift surrounding Lunarmillenniumon. Once it's down, you've got to pound him with everything you've got, understood? If you guys can make a crack in that shell, then I think I can finish him off!!" Before Sakuyamon could ask if the holy knight was out of his mind, Imperialdramon burst forward to meet his nemesis.  
  
Lunarmillenniumon felt a new power emerging from the ashes of Omnimon. "What?!? Another holy knight?! You holy knights are like gnats...small and annoying as hell!!" The dark God noticed a shape coming towards him at a tremendous speed. "And so...another one shall bite the dust. Death Crystal!!!" Imperialdramon made a slash with his Omega Sword and deflected the attack as he kept moving.  
  
"So that's why nothing happened when my attack reached them. No matter...soon, this realm will cease to exist and I can move on to other, more interesting places." Imperialdramon ignored Lunarmillenniumon's statement as he got closer. The dark God still couldn't activate his telekinetic field since the Yuggoth Blaster's effect hadn't worn off yet.  
  
As soon as the holy knight Digimon got into place, his sword began to glow brightly. 'Please let this work...' With a mighty thrust, he shoved it past the dimensional warp perimeter, just inches away from the crystal surface. The middle section of the weapon appeared to be in a dimensional flux...until it started to straighten out. "How is this possible?!" Lunarmillenniumon wasn't able to aim his Death Crystal attack properly since Imperialdramon was too close.  
  
The vaccine Digimon gave a cold look at the entity inside the crystal. "The powers of Courage and Friendship transcend even your dimensional powers, Lunarmillenniumon! The Omega Sword's strength is a reflection of the strength of those two elements from across countless dimensions!!" The dark God gave a gigantic laugh. "A noble effort but I am indestructible!! You can't possibly win!!"  
  
"Maybe not but we gotta try anyway!! Gargo Missile!!" The others had moved in closer to use every precious second that Imperialdramon had bought for them. The air soon filled with Digimon yelling out attack names. "Justice Beam!!" "Static Force!!" "Fox Drive!!" "Final Elysian!!"  
  
All of their combined attacks hit the crystal but when the smoke cleared, the crystal remained unscathed. Yolei couldn't believe her eyes. "Not even a crack!" Lunarmillenniumon gave an annoyed growl. "Time to exterminate you pests...Death Crystal!!" Several attacks flew towards the group.   
  
Before any of them could react, a small crackle of lightning sparked in front of them. The next thing they knew, a portal had opened and Ken was thrown several feet to the right of the vortex, right at Cody's feet. Its vacuum effect forced the attacks to turn toward it. After the crystal attacks went through, the vortex closed. TK helped the other boy stand up. "Ken!! How did you get back?" "No time!! Where are the tamers?"  
  
Gallantmon and Sakuyamon landed in front of him. "Talk about a miracle! Now if only we could pull off the big one," mumbled the holy knight. Ken handed over the package to the two mega Digimon. "These cards may help pull that miracle off, courtesy of one Ryo Akiyama." Sakuyamon's face slightly twitched at the mention of his name. Gallantmon took the cards and gave a start. "Hey! I haven't seen these cards before in the game!!"  
  
The shaman Digimon leaned in closer to get a better look. "I think I've seen them before! They're called the Goliath cards and they're based on the five non-pawn Chess pieces. Each card can boost the attack power of a Digimon but they give very specific conditions and can only be used with Digimon with specific attributes. These cards are very rare and are only given to players who are ranked number one in their respective region at the end of the year. The rankings are monitored by the Digimon Players Organization and they can be raised or lowered depending on how you do if you participate in an event sanctioned by the Players Organization."  
  
"Well, that's fine and dandy but how can you guys use them? When you merged with your Digimon, your Digivices vanished. And if you do find a way to use those cards, would there be any side effects? We've got to consider those too," stated Cody. Sakuyamon quickly scanned the cards. "We've run out of time...this is as good as we're going to get it. I'll give Einstein the info." She gave the holy knight the cards before flying up to quickly talk to Henry.  
  
"Well...let's do this." Gallantmon raised a card high into the air. "Digi Modify!! Goliath Knight Activate!!" For a short while, nothing happened. "Um...pretty please?" The card glowed briefly before a small piece of marble shaped like a horse's head materialized around his left wrist. Moments later, the holy knight felt a new strength surge through him. He slowly began to rise to confront the enemy.   
  
Imperialdramon saw a dark aura flare up as Lunarmillenniumon prepared to attack. "I was going to be nice and give your pals painless deaths when I blow this scrap heap up but now they've all gotta go out the slow and painful way!! Death Crystal!!" He fired his crystal at the other holy knight. Before they connected, Gallantmon and Grani vanished without a trace and then reappeared in a different position. "That was wicked!!" Gallantmon gave a hearty laugh before teleporting closer and closer to Lunarmillenniumon. Every time he fired his attack, the holy knight would teleport out of the way. While he provided this distraction, Silphymon and Shakkoumon kept moving around the dark God, attacking constantly. Gallantmon tried to fire his own attacks but he had to keep moving with the crystal assaults constantly coming at him.  
  
Sakuyamon quickly landed in front of the other kids. "Would someone care to explain how the heck is he doing that vanishing act?" Megagargomon leaned down in order to listen in. "I have no idea. All he did was use one of those cards...um...Goliath Knight or something like that. We were able to see some sort of piece appear on his left wrist. Looked like a little horsey. That knight device must be giving him those powers," stated Davis.   
  
Megagargomon placed the pieces of the puzzle together. "I think I get it. Those cards are practically item cards. If we use them, they form into real items into which we can directly use their powers. As for his teleportation ability...in the game of Chess, the knight piece moves in an L shape in any direction. That is what makes it a dangerous piece. With the fact that it can jump from square to square, it doesn't matter how many pieces swarm it. It can simply jump away with a single move. The teleportation sequence must be based on that L shape move!!"   
  
Sakuyamon looked up. "So what you're saying is that not only do we gain additional power but our movements are changed to the point where we move like those Chess pieces?" The other Digimon gave a small shrug. "It's the only theory that seems to fit amidst all this chaos."   
  
A small dark smile appeared on the shaman Digimon's lips. "I see. It's time to show Lunarmillenniumon that nobody messes with the Digimon Queen and gets away with it. Digi Modify!! Goliath Queen Activate!" A small piece materialized around her neck. Before Megagargomon could react, she zoomed off. "Why am I not surprised?"  
  
"What do you mean, Henry?" asked Terriermon. The boy gave a small grin. "Rika's always the type of person to go for the major power players and cards. In Chess, the Queen is the most powerful piece with the combined abilities of the Bishop and Rook. And it's the main reason why I keep winning against my dad."  
  
"I didn't know you liked Chess. Tell ya what...on your next birthday or Christmas, I'll get you a Chess program for your computer. And the fun part is that it'll keep insulting you until you win!!" Henry didn't respond. He was focused on getting a card to help the others but with his size...it'll take a bit more time.  
  
"Aw, man!! Can't you give me a break?" Gallantmon teleported out of the way of the latest barrage of attacks. Before Lunarmillenniumon could reply, he heard someone else shout an attack name. "Dragon Helix!!" Sakuyamon flew past him at an incredible speed before firing her attack. With the attack taking most of her energy, she had to land. The holy knight wasted no time and began spinning towards the dark God at the same spot where Sakuyamon fired. "Dragon Driver!!" A silhouette of a red dragon briefly appeared and gave a roar before blasting the surface.  
  
"Goliath Rook? I guess that would fit since it's a fortress and...yeah. So how are we going to use this new power?" The boy kept focused. Slowly every missile launcher opened except for the two yellow faces. "Simple. A combination attack would maximize the amount of damage we deal! Gargo Barrage!!" While the two giant yellow face missiles were being fired, several other, smaller green missiles were fired as well and hit the same spot that his other two friends attacked.  
  
Kari saw the wave of smoke heading their way. "Heads up!!" As the smoke cloud made its way over to the group, they could feel the pressure and tension rising. They only have about a minute and five seconds at most before Lunarmillenniumon's Dimension Destroyer was powered up.   
  
When the smoke finally cleared, startled gasps escaped the lips of almost everyone when they saw a tiny jagged crack on the otherwise smooth surface of the crystal. Imperialdramon gave a tiny grin and moved closer to the crack. His left arm changed into a giant cannon. "Giga Crusher!!" He aimed it at the same spot where the tamers had attacked. 'I have to make this count. The others don't have anything left in them.'   
  
The energy wave slammed onto the surface and widened the crack a bit more. Lunarmillenniumon couldn't believe what he was seeing. "This is insane!! I am the most powerful force in the universe!!! How can the pets of mere children be doing this?!?!?" Imperialdramon stepped back and brought his cannon and his Omega Sword together. His arms changed to form a giant cannon with the Greek Omega symbol on both sides. "A God is only as strong as those who believe in him. And since there is nobody who believes in you, you're just another virus that's about to be eradicated!! Hyper Prominence!!!"  
  
"Death Crystal!!" The two attacks collided against each other but the crystals couldn't penetrate the beam which was shaped like the Greek Omega symbol. After a few moments, the beam split through and hit the crystal hard. Imperialdramon kept pouring energy into the attack. Finally, the beam smashed through the crystal shield.   
  
Lunarmillenniumon gave a scream before his whole crystal was flooded by light on the inside. It wasn't long until the crystal shattered. "What the-" A giant bluish ring of energy seemed to spread out as soon as the crystal shattered. (AN: Like the temporal incursions in Voyager's "Year of Hell") The entire group tried to shield their eyes as the light display was extremely bright. "My internal chronometer is going haywire!! It must be some sort of temporal shockwave created from the energy he was storing to destroy our dimension!!" exclaimed Megagargomon.  
  
"Ack!!!" The strength of the shockwave knocked Gallantmon off of Grani. He tried to regain control in the air but he didn't have a lot of energy left in him. Grani couldn't move with the shockwave forcing it into another direction. The holy knight expected to slam into the ground. Instead, he landed into the arms of his girlfriend. "Are you alright?" asked the shaman Digimon softly.  
  
Gallantmon gave a sigh. "Oh, boy. This is the part where I scream 'My Heroine!!' at the top of my lungs, right?" Sakuyamon shook her head, wondering how she ever fell in love with him in the first place. "Don't be an idiot." She dropped him after she stated her remark and looked back to see what was happening.   
  
They saw Megagargomon and Imperialdramon landing near what was left of a building. Shakkoumon and Silphymon had transformed back to their in-training forms and the Digidestined were coming over to greet their friends. "If it wasn't for you guys getting that crack in the shell, we wouldn't be standing here right now. Thanks." Sakuyamon placed a firm grip on Gallantmon's shoulder with a look that stated 'Go into fan mode right now and I will kill you'. The viral holy knight gave a tiny cough. "You opened up that chance. We just did what we could with the time you bought for us."  
  
"Man!! That was a majorly awesome battle!! And all of us came out...oh, right. Omnimon." Davis stopped talking. Megagargomon looked at Imperialdramon. "Omnimon's data is contained within the Omega Sword, right? If you can get back to your world, you should speak to Azulongmon or Gennai...maybe they can help."  
  
"The problem is how do we get back home?" asked Yolei. "Yeah...it's not like a portal to our dimension is going to appear conveniently for us or something-" TK was cut off as they saw several flashes of light from one direction. It looked like a tear in reality. More flashes of light started to show up in other directions.  
  
Megagargomon started scanning the tears in reality. "I can't make heads or tails out of these!! But I think that these rifts lead to other parallel realities and dimensions. Now that the rifts are there, all we need to do is stabilize a portal and find your dimension...which is easier said than done." Imperialdramon walked over to a rift right behind Kari. "There...that is where our dimension is. I can sense Matt and Tai in there. I guess I inherited a few additional senses when I picked up the Omega Sword with Omnimon's data."  
  
Megagargomon began to speak again. "Wait!! There's no telling how much has changed! The temporal shockwave didn't appear to affect us because we were some sort of focal point. Since it originated from Lunarmillenniumon's energy, it can travel through time and space which means it could have sped up events or slowed them down in other dimensions!!" A look of understanding was reflected in Imperialdramon's eyes.  
  
"It is risky to try and get back but it is our home. We belong there...after all, if we stayed here, mobs of teenage girls would be trying to get a date with TK, Ken or Cody...and Davis of course. As for the unknown events that may have happened while we were away, we simply must face them. That's life, you know. Every living being must face the unknown and deal with it as best they can. In fact, it kind of sounds a lot like the future." Imperialdramon formed the Omega Sword and prepared to stabilize a portal.   
  
"One quick thing, Imperialdramon. If you see Arukenimon and Mummymon, give them a chance to find a better life for themselves." A puzzled look appeared on Imperialdramon's face as Gallantmon made his plea. "Yeah, they were born like bad guys but they can change given the right incentive and all. It's just that they were killed in the end without any meaning and..."   
  
"Say no more. You know, I never would have hesistated to kill them after all the trouble they have caused but with the way you try to give every living being purpose...you're indeed a far superior holy knight than Omnimon and myself combined." Gallantmon beamed at that comment. The two holy knight Digimon shook hands. "Good luck with whatever it is you're doing."  
  
"I guess this is goodbye...I just gotta say, it's been one wild ride!!" Davis gave his trademark grin. "You can say that again what with me having a psychopath as my partner and all," grumbled Megagargomon.  
  
"Maybe one day our paths will meet again. My grandfather usually says that the lives between good friends are intertwined with each other. Like my father and his best friend," stated Cody as he gently picked up Upamon. "I don't doubt that for a second, Cody," added TK with a sleeping Tokomon in his arms.   
  
Yolei looked at Sakuyamon. "Just don't let that Digimon Queen attitude get out of hand...your majesty." A smirk was on the girl's face as she scooped up Poromon. "You don't have to be a tomboy all the time. Maybe once in a while, try being a normal girl. It'll probably make your love life a bit more interesting," said Kari in a teasing tone. Salamon was nestled in her arms.  
  
As the vortex opened, the tamers gave one final goodbye to their friends. Ken looked back with a wide smile on his face. "Thanks for everything!! One more thing. Rika...Ryo says hi...if you can find a way to help him get back home from the Dark Ocean, it would mean a lot!!" He quickly vanished into the vortex.  
  
Moments after the Digidestined had left, the tamers had split apart and there were six life forms residing in the battle field. "Nothing's ever going to be the same, huh?" Nobody could argue with Terriermon's statement. "Even though Imperialdramon has used one rift and stabilized it to become a portal...with all these other rifts around, you never know who may drop in uninvited," stated Henry in a grim tone.  
  
"We can deal with it when it happens!! Let's just celebrate our victory!! I mean...we beat Lunarmillenniumon as well as a lot of other enemies, got our Digimon stronger, made some amazing new friends and gained some new weaponry with Grani and the Goliath cards...this just can't get any better!!" exclaimed Takato.  
  
"And that would be my cue." Rika placed her arms around the boy's neck before kissing him on the lips. "Ah, I can see it now. In about six months to a year, they'll lose their virginities...in nine years, they'll be tying the knot and then going to a honeymoon to make more hot monkey love and then-" Henry clamped his hand over Terriermon's mouth.  
  
She pulled back before leaning in to whisper something in his ear. "My hero," she purred softly. Takato chose this moment to faint with a dreamy look on his face. Guilmon looked at his tamer. "Hello? Are you okay, Takatomon?" Renamon gave a small chuckle. "By the way he looks, I would say he's better than okay. He's in heaven."  
  
************  
  
"You Digidestined fools cannot stop me!! I shall have both worlds bow down at my feet!!" Malomyotismon stood defiantly in front of the army of Digimon belonging to Digidestined children around the world. The children were with their partners. "You do realize that the digital world is my domain...I am invincible here!! HAHAHAHAHAHA-"   
  
A brilliant flash of light cut him off as a vortex opened. "What do you suppose that is?" asked Sora. Six children walked out from the light. Malomyotismon gave a growl. "It does not matter whether there are six or six million children against me!! I will crush you all!!!"   
  
Then another Digimon stepped out from behind the group with a powerful looking sword in front of him. The virus mega prepared to attack. "And who might you be? Just another Digimon for me to destroy?" Imperialdramon stepped out to face his enemy. "I'm the alarm clock for both worlds to wake up from your eternal nightmare!!" After yelling a battle cry, he charged into the fight with his Omega Sword raised high to deliver both worlds from evil.  
  
THE END...FOR NOW  
  
You can cue "Defy You" by the Offspring as you imagine the credits rolling by. Me for writing, you for imagining and reading and the voice actors and animators for providing us with visual display through 02 and Tamers. Let's not forget the artists of V-Tamer and other singers and musicians who wrote music that you imagined to suit whatever scenes. Blah, blah, blah...  
  
That's it!! It's done!! Cue some sort of holy music or something!!! Alrighty then...first, I would like to thank Megchan with her Digimon Encyclopedia providing inspiration as well as translating V-Tamer. I would also like to say thanks to my main reviewers who stuck by me like super glue since day one:  
  
riderfan  
Devidramon  
Alex Warlorn  
Super saya-jin Gotan  
Lunamew  
Peter Kim  
  
...and anyone else I may have forgotten.   
  
I say thanks to Digidestined of Courage because the first romance Tamers story I read was written by you know who. It exposed me to the Rukato coupling and I thought...why not? It can actually work.   
  
Last but not least, I thank the readers and the people who took the time to say that I'm a good author, that I should get the next chapter out sooner and so on.   
  
And now...I will allow a few members of the cast to say a few words before going.  
  
Terriermon: Will I get laid in the next book? Who do I get laid with?  
Henry: Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!!!!!  
Terriermon: Henry!! Momentai!!  
Henry: Epsilon...this is where you cue my little sister to come in and play!!  
Me: Sure.  
Suzie: Pwincess Pwettypants!!  
Terriermon: Wait...doesn't she have Lopmon already?  
Trevor Goldberg: Right now, she's temporarily on a sugar high thanks to new Vanilla Coke and ten bags of sugar.  
Maxwell Marshall: Majorly sweet, man!  
Terriermon: AAAAHHHHH!!! Help!!  
Renamon: You are able to stand up to a powerful Digimon and yet you can't handle a little girl?  
Terriermon: Why don't you go back to your in-training form and allow a little girl to have some fun? Oh, wait...then I won't be able to stare at Renamon's nice ass anymore.  
Renamon: Prepare to die...  
Me: I'll play some chase music.  
  
(Sunshine, Lollipops and...)  
  
Davis: Oh, wait a second...do I get Kari in the next book? I mean I can understand not letting us get together here since there was a lot of stuff going on.  
Me: Not all goggleheads get the girl, Davis.  
Rika: That's a registered trademark insult!! If you weren't the author, I would launch a lawsuit!!  
Me: That's it!! Ryo's coming back in the next book!  
Ryo: Score!!  
Rika: Ah, crap.  
Me: But if you behave well, you two can get together for a game of Rou Shambo.  
Ryo: Huh?  
Me: Terriermon explained it back in chapter 36. Now if you excuse me...it's 1:43 AM and I want some sleep.  
Guilmon: Sleep is good.  
Terriermon: Sleeping with someone is better...AWK!!!!   
Aaron: Bunny's getting mauled!! Funny...  
Me: I see they've finally caught up. Good night, everybody!!!! 


End file.
